Senior Technical Designer (Hybrid, Seattle)

Job Description

As a Senior Technical Designer at Nordstrom, reporting to the Director of Design and Construction, you manage the millwork and fixture design program. With deep fixture design and manufacturing experience, you partner with internal stakeholders to turn disparate requirements and priorities into thoughtful design solutions. You champion the customer experience, build trust and shape expectations, and keep many vendors and workstreams moving. You mentor others and clear obstacles no matter whose team they sit on. A resilient change agent, you embrace our Owners at Heart value by delivering results.

A day in the life…

• Manage the millwork and fixture design program from first idea to final rollout — gather customer, store team, and business requirements and objectives, set the program's strategy and vision, decide whether to design new or improve existing, balance aesthetics with function and cost, using data to recommend trade-offs and value engineering opportunities to support business goals

• Translate creative ideas into technical specifications, shop drawings, and prototypes — maintain design documentation including finishes, materials, and equipment catalogs and schedules

• Create the processes, tracking, tools, and retrospectives that map from brief to result improving efficiency and enabling scale — ensure smooth handoffs between internal stakeholders at every stage, track program schedules and budgets, keep cut sheets and databases current, set standards from prototype approval through first-run QA and ongoing durability, spot issues early so only high-quality work reaches stores, and drive continuous improvement across vendors and the FF&E catalog

• Own vendor relationships and performance — provide oversight, onboard new casework and fixture manufacturers, direct fabricators, hold them to a high bar on aesthetics, quality, schedule, and cost, helping partners win alongside you

• Partner with Procurement, Construction, Visual Merchandising, and Facilities to improve transparency, consistency, and accuracy — drive the RFP process in tandem with Strategic Sourcing partners, owning the technical criteria and vendor recommendations, evaluate finishes and materials and manufacturing methods against supply chains, sustainability, and commercial viability, support pricing and shipping strategies, and reduce costs across brands and supply cost data for capex requests while ensuring compliance and brand standards

You own this if you have…

• 8+ years of experience in casework or fixture design and manufacturing, design engineering, ideally across multiple areas, supported by a four-year degree in industrial design, architecture, interior design, or a related field; willing to travel up to 30%

• Proven experience running a millwork or fixture program end to end, including vendor performance management and RFPs

• Advanced proficiency in 3D modeling and rendering software such as SketchUp, Rhino, Vectorworks, Revit, or comparable platforms, plus AutoCAD, Bluebeam, Adobe Creative Suite, Smartsheet, and Microsoft Office, with fluency reading technical design drawings; a strong portfolio demonstrating deep retail fixture knowledge, including sourcing, installation, fabrication, and materials and finish specification, plus first article review and approval experience

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills — VP-level communication that translates technical concepts for non-technical audiences and drives alignment through respectful, two-way dialogue and knowledge sharing; the ability to independently manage multiple priorities, navigate ambiguity, make decisions, and influence cross-functional partners at all levels, with analytical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail, comfortable in a fast-paced environment

Pay Range Details

The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

We’ve got you covered…

Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:

• Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources

A few more important points...

The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.

For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.

Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.

Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.

Current Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.

About Us

We’re a fast-moving fashion company that started as a shoe store in 1901. This heritage of service is the foundation we’re building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. We empower our people to be innovative, creative and focused on providing the best service to our customers. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it.

Whether you’re a genius engineer, a phenomenal salesperson or a supply chain pro, we invite you to bring your unique talents and join our team. We reward great work, promote from within and celebrate diversity.

CUSTOMER OBSESSED
We strive to know our customers better than anyone else. We listen, anticipate, build trust and move with speed to deliver on their needs.

OWNERS AT HEART
We treat every interaction as an opportunity to make an impact and deliver excellence.

CURIOUS AND EVER CHANGING
We approach problems with curiosity and create solutions. We unlock potential to be bold, think big and inspire innovation.

HERE TO WIN
We’re committed to delivering results, both today and tomorrow. We win as a team by supporting and challenging one another to be better every day.

WE EXTEND OURSELVES
We treat each other with respect and kindness. We do the small things that make a big difference. We create a welcoming environment, helping people feel connected, valued and part of one community.

Come on! Join us!