Design Consultant Jobs in Illinois

Design Consultant jobs in Illinois are concentrated in commercial interiors, retail environments, branded workplace design, and residential high-rise development, with hiring activity ranging from junior associates to senior project leads. Chicago anchors the market as one of the most active design hiring metros in the Midwest, with Rockford and Naperville also generating consistent openings. Well-established firms with deep Illinois roots, including Gensler, CannonDesign, and Herman Miller dealerships operating across the state, regularly bring on design consultants. Space planning, sustainable design, and client-facing project management are the most in-demand specialties right now. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles19
Top employerTuff Shed
Top cityChicago, IL
Cities hiring14
Work type80% On-site
Top industryRetail

Showing 5 of 19+ Design Consultant jobs

Design Consultant I
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Added 4d ago
Design Consultant I
Porcelanosa
Chicago, Illinois
Consulting & Professional Services
Creative & Design
Product Management

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Senior Sales & Design Consultant
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Added 5d ago
Senior Sales & Design Consultant
Roche Bobois
Chicago, Illinois
Creative & Design
Product Management
UI/UX Design
$70k - $100k/yr
1,001-5,000

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Showroom Design Consultant- Crystal Lake
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Added 6d ago
Showroom Design Consultant- Crystal Lake
JC Licht
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Account Management
Customer Service
Sales
$20 - $24/hr

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Sales Design Consultant - Chicago
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Added 1w ago
Sales Design Consultant - Chicago
Tuff Shed
Franklin Park, Illinois
Consulting & Professional Services
Creative & Design
Product Management
High school diploma or GED
1,001-5,000

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Sales Design Consultant
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Added 2w ago
Sales Design Consultant
Closets by Design Chicago Downtown
Chicago, Illinois
Customer Success
Inside Sales
Sales
$2,000 - $4,000/yr
Remote (US)
No degree

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See All 19 Design Consultant Jobs in Illinois

Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Design Consultant Jobs by City in Illinois

Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Chicago
4 jobs
Oak Brook
3 jobs
Lisle
1 job
Niles
1 job
Geneva
1 job
Deerfield
1 job
Naperville
1 job
Schaumburg
1 job
Lake Forest
1 job

Design Consultant Job Market in Illinois

A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

Tuff Shed2 open roles
The Shade Store2 open roles
Arhaus1 open role

Top Industries Hiring

  • Retail

What Illinois Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in design consultant jobs across Illinois.

  • Bachelor's degree in interior design, architecture, or a closely related design field
  • NCIDQ certification preferred or active progress toward licensure in Illinois
  • Three or more years of experience with commercial, retail, or workplace design projects
  • Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, or SketchUp alongside Adobe Creative Suite
  • Demonstrated ability to manage client relationships and lead design presentations independently
  • Familiarity with Illinois building codes, ADA standards, and local permitting processes

Design Consultant Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a design consultant in Illinois?

Most Illinois employers expect a bachelor's degree in interior design or a related field, and many require or strongly prefer candidates working toward NCIDQ certification, which is the pathway to becoming a Licensed Interior Designer in Illinois through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Starting in a junior designer or design assistant role at a Chicago-area commercial firm, then accumulating the work experience hours required for the NCIDQ exam, is the most common path to a consultant-level position in the state.

Which companies hire design consultants in Illinois?

Companies currently hiring design consultants in Illinois include Tuff Shed, The Shade Store, and Arhaus, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of corporate headquarters and commercial real estate development in the Chicago metro keeps demand for design consultants particularly consistent year-round.

Which Illinois cities have the most design consultant jobs?

Chicago, Oak Brook, and Lisle account for the most design consultant openings in Illinois. Chicago dominates due to its concentration of architecture and interiors firms, corporate campuses, and hospitality developers, while Naperville and Rockford generate openings through regional commercial construction, healthcare facility projects, and mid-size businesses that retain in-house or contract design consultants.

Are there remote design consultant jobs in Illinois?

Yes, but they are less common than in purely digital fields because design consultants often need to visit sites, meet clients in person, and review physical materials. About 20% of design consultant openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with the remote-eligible work typically concentrated in early-phase space planning, concept development, and client presentations that can be conducted over video.

How can I get hired as a design consultant in Illinois with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry point is applying for a design assistant or junior designer role at a Chicago-area commercial interiors firm or architecture practice, many of which offer structured mentorship for candidates fresh out of accredited programs. Firms such as Gensler and CannonDesign, both active in Illinois, hire at the associate level and provide the supervised project hours needed toward NCIDQ eligibility. Building a portfolio with school projects, internship work, or speculative retail and workplace concepts, and earning CIDA-accredited program credentials, gives candidates without paid experience a meaningful edge.

Where can I find and apply to design consultant jobs in Illinois?

You can find and apply to design consultant jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across commercial, residential, and specialty design firms. Find the roles that fit your experience and specialty and apply directly from the listing.

See All 19 Design Consultant Jobs in Illinois

Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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