Design Manager Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Design Manager roles often qualify for H-1B visa, O-1 visa, and E-3 visas when they require specialized knowledge in UX/UI design, product strategy, or design systems. Most positions need a bachelor's degree in design, HCI, or related field, though strong portfolios can sometimes overcome degree gaps through the experience equivalency rule.
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Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.
Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.
Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.
We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.
Job Description
About the role
Turner & Townsend is looking for a Workplace Design Manager responsible for leading the planning, design, and delivery of workplace environments that align with client business objectives, employee experience strategies, and operational requirements.
The successful candidate will combine workplace strategy, design leadership, and project delivery expertise to drive workplace transformation projects from concept development through implementation.
This is a hybrid role, 3-4 days per week, based in Menlo Park, CA.
- Lead workplace design projects across multiple sectors, ensuring alignment with client goals, workplace strategies, and business requirements.
- Manage the development of workplace concepts, space planning solutions, test fits, and design standards.
- Partner with clients and stakeholder groups to identify workplace needs, occupancy requirements, and future-state workplace strategies.
- Facilitate workshops, interviews, and stakeholder engagement sessions to gather project requirements and support decision-making.
- Collaborate with architects, interior designers, engineers, project managers, and external consultants throughout project lifecycles.
- Translate workplace strategy, organizational culture, and operational requirements into practical design solutions.
- Review and oversee design deliverables throughout concept, schematic, design development, and construction documentation phases.
- Ensure workplace designs support employee experience, wellbeing, collaboration, sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion objectives.
- Coordinate design activities with project schedules, budgets, and construction milestones.
- Monitor project risks, design changes, and scope impacts, providing recommendations and mitigation plans.
- Support value engineering exercises and identify opportunities to optimize cost, functionality, and user experience.
- Ensure compliance with local regulations, building codes, client standards, and industry best practices.
- Manage design consultants and vendors, reviewing performance and ensuring quality outcomes.
- Contribute to business development activities, client presentations, and workplace strategy proposals.
- Develop and maintain workplace design guidelines, standards, and best practices.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical guidance to junior team members.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Workplace Design, or a related field.
- Professional registration, certification, or licensure preferred.
- 8+ years of experience in workplace design, corporate interiors, workplace strategy, architecture, or related disciplines.
- Experience managing workplace transformation, office fit-out, relocation, or corporate real estate projects.
- Strong understanding of workplace planning principles, hybrid work environments, and employee experience strategies.
- Knowledge of design development processes, construction documentation, and project delivery methodologies.
- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary project teams and managing stakeholder relationships.
- Proficiency in workplace planning tools and design software such as Bluebeam, AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation abilities.
Additional Information
SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.
On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this, we promote a healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.
Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.
Company Description
Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries.
Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people’s lives. Working in partnership makes it possible to deliver the world’s most impactful projects and programmes as we turn challenge into opportunity and complexity into success.
Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions.
We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.
Job Description
About the role
Turner & Townsend is looking for a Workplace Design Manager responsible for leading the planning, design, and delivery of workplace environments that align with client business objectives, employee experience strategies, and operational requirements.
The successful candidate will combine workplace strategy, design leadership, and project delivery expertise to drive workplace transformation projects from concept development through implementation.
This is a hybrid role, 3-4 days per week, based in Menlo Park, CA.
- Lead workplace design projects across multiple sectors, ensuring alignment with client goals, workplace strategies, and business requirements.
- Manage the development of workplace concepts, space planning solutions, test fits, and design standards.
- Partner with clients and stakeholder groups to identify workplace needs, occupancy requirements, and future-state workplace strategies.
- Facilitate workshops, interviews, and stakeholder engagement sessions to gather project requirements and support decision-making.
- Collaborate with architects, interior designers, engineers, project managers, and external consultants throughout project lifecycles.
- Translate workplace strategy, organizational culture, and operational requirements into practical design solutions.
- Review and oversee design deliverables throughout concept, schematic, design development, and construction documentation phases.
- Ensure workplace designs support employee experience, wellbeing, collaboration, sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion objectives.
- Coordinate design activities with project schedules, budgets, and construction milestones.
- Monitor project risks, design changes, and scope impacts, providing recommendations and mitigation plans.
- Support value engineering exercises and identify opportunities to optimize cost, functionality, and user experience.
- Ensure compliance with local regulations, building codes, client standards, and industry best practices.
- Manage design consultants and vendors, reviewing performance and ensuring quality outcomes.
- Contribute to business development activities, client presentations, and workplace strategy proposals.
- Develop and maintain workplace design guidelines, standards, and best practices.
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical guidance to junior team members.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Workplace Design, or a related field.
- Professional registration, certification, or licensure preferred.
- 8+ years of experience in workplace design, corporate interiors, workplace strategy, architecture, or related disciplines.
- Experience managing workplace transformation, office fit-out, relocation, or corporate real estate projects.
- Strong understanding of workplace planning principles, hybrid work environments, and employee experience strategies.
- Knowledge of design development processes, construction documentation, and project delivery methodologies.
- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary project teams and managing stakeholder relationships.
- Proficiency in workplace planning tools and design software such as Bluebeam, AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation abilities.
Additional Information
SOX control responsibilities may be part of this role, which are to be adhered to where applicable.
On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs.
Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.
We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this, we promote a healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.
Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
It is strictly against Turner & Townsend policy for candidates to pay any fee in relation to our recruitment process. No recruitment agency working with Turner & Townsend will ask candidates to pay a fee at any time.
Any unsolicited resumes/CVs submitted through our website or to Turner & Townsend personal e-mail accounts, are considered property of Turner & Townsend and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorised Recruitment Agency/Search Firm for Turner & Townsend, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by the Recruitment Team, to submit candidates for review.
See all 423+ Design Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Design Manager roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Design Manager
Emphasize Technical Design Leadership
Highlight experience with design systems, prototyping tools, and cross-functional team management. USCIS looks for specialized knowledge beyond basic creative skills when evaluating design roles.
Document Your Design Impact
Quantify user engagement improvements, conversion rate increases, and product launches you've led. Measurable business outcomes strengthen your case for specialty occupation classification.
Target Product-Focused Companies
Tech companies, SaaS platforms, and digital agencies are more familiar with design manager visa sponsorship than traditional corporations. They understand the specialized nature of modern design roles.
Showcase Advanced Tool Expertise
Proficiency in Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping platforms demonstrates technical specialization. Include certifications in design thinking methodologies or accessibility standards if available.
Highlight Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge
Experience with user research, data analysis, or front-end development adds weight to your specialty occupation argument. Design managers often need skills spanning multiple disciplines.
Consider Portfolio-Based Applications
If your degree isn't design-related, a strong portfolio demonstrating advanced design thinking can support experience-based qualification. Document years of progressive design leadership responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a design degree for H-1B sponsorship as a Design Manager?
A bachelor's degree in design, graphic design, HCI, or related field is typically required. However, the three-for-one rule allows three years of progressive design experience to substitute for one year of education. A non-design degree plus substantial design leadership experience may qualify, especially with a strong portfolio demonstrating specialized knowledge.
Which visa types work best for Design Manager positions?
H-1B visa is most common for design managers, requiring specialized knowledge in UX/UI design or design systems. O-1 can work for designers with extraordinary ability demonstrated through major product launches, industry recognition, or leading design teams at notable companies. E-3 applies to Australian citizens in qualifying design roles.
How do I prove Design Manager is a specialty occupation?
Focus on technical aspects like design systems architecture, user research methodologies, and cross-functional team leadership. Avoid framing it as purely creative work. Emphasize data-driven design decisions, accessibility compliance, and strategic product thinking that requires specialized education and training.
What approval rates can Design Managers expect for H-1B petitions?
Design and creative roles face higher scrutiny than traditional STEM fields, but well-documented cases with clear specialty occupation evidence typically succeed. Key factors include degree relevance, job complexity, and employer's ability to demonstrate why the role requires specialized design knowledge rather than general creative skills.
How to find Design Manager jobs with visa sponsorship?
To find Design Manager jobs with visa sponsorship, use Migrate Mate, which specializes in connecting international talent with sponsoring employers. Focus on tech companies, design agencies, and large corporations that commonly sponsor H-1B, L-1 visa, or O-1 visas for creative leadership roles. These employers actively seek experienced design professionals to lead their creative teams and product development initiatives.
Can I get sponsored without traditional design education?
Yes, through experience equivalency if you have progressive design leadership roles totaling 12+ years for a bachelor's equivalent. Self-taught designers who've managed teams, launched major products, or led design transformations at companies can qualify, but need extensive documentation of their specialized knowledge and impact.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Design Manager jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.