Senior Design Manager
McDermott Will & Emery
Senior Design Manager
McDermott Will & Emery
Global law firm delivering client solutions
Build your big career with the firm that does Big Law, Better. McDermott Will & Schulte is a leading global law firm that brings together more than 1,700+ lawyers and 1,400 business professionals. We celebrate excellence, collaboration, and community and have been recognized as a top workplace by USA Today, Fortune, The American Lawyer, Vault and others. We are also certified by Great Place to Work.
At McDermott, we don’t just invest in your future, we accelerate your career – wherever it may lead. That includes supporting you both in and outside of the office.
With us, you’ll find:
A firm where everyone belongs: Our award-winning culture prioritizes warmth and authenticity — we encourage you to be yourself!
Enthusiasm for all perspectives: We’re smarter and stronger when everyone has a voice and a seat at the table. We welcome unique viewpoints and ideas, and we make opportunities for you and your career to thrive.
Support to feel your best and do your best: Wellness is integral to building a successful career and a rich life. That’s why our benefits program supports your physical, emotional, mental, and financial health, with an emphasis on work-life balance.
Real rewards for real work: We offer generous compensation packages that recognize hard work and excellence.
Job Description:
The Senior Design Manager, Events is a strategic creative leader responsible for envisioning and delivering bold, world‑class event experiences across McDermott’s portfolio - from intimate, high‑touch gatherings to large‑scale, multi‑day signature events with 2,000+ attendees. Reporting into the Creative Director, this role owns the creative vision end‑to‑end, ensuring every touchpoint - from first invitation through on‑site immersion and post‑event moments - feels cohesive, elevated, and unmistakably McDermott.Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Partner closely with the Creative Director to push creative boundaries while ensuring consistency, clarity, and sophistication across all event executions
Help drive the creative vision for McDermott events, developing overarching concepts and narratives that unify digital, environmental, and experiential elements into a seamless attendee journey
Design immersive, ownable experiences that transform venues into branded environments aligned with McDermott’s brand standards, business priorities, and audience expectations
Translate high‑level themes and messaging into scalable creative systems that work across event sizes, formats, and geographies
Oversee the design of digital event assets, including email campaigns, event registration websites, and social graphics, ensuring cohesion across all pre‑event marketing channels
Lead the design and execution of on‑site creative applications, including environmental branding, signage, stage graphics, wayfinding, experiential moments, and printed collateral
Own the creative workstream for assigned events, leading creative status calls, managing timelines and workflows, and serving as the primary creative point of contact for stakeholders
Brief, guide, and review work from internal designers and external vendors, providing clear direction and managing partners to ensure design intent is executed at the highest level, on time and on budget
Job Specifications:
Bachelor’s degree
At least ten (10)years of experience in event design, experiential marketing, brand environments, or integrated creative roles, with leadership responsibility
Hands onexpertisein design tools (Adobe Creative Suite; Figma or similar preferred) with the judgment to know when to design personally vs. delegate
Ability to designlarge scale, high profileevents as well as intimate, detail driven experiences
Strong portfoliodemonstratingconceptual thinking, spatial/environmental design, and integrated digitalandphysical executions
Deep understanding of how creative strategy supports businessobjectivesand audience engagement
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders
Ability to managevendors, production partners, and print processes with confidence and precision
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word)
Successful candidates will be provided with outstanding career opportunities and will receive a competitive total rewards package with the opportunity to earn performance-based bonuses.
Target Hiring Range $145,000 - $194,000
Please note that quoted salary ranges are not guarantees of what final salary offers may be. Base pay is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and geographic location. Base pay is only one part of the Total Rewards that MWE provides to compensate and recognize our staff professionals for their work. Full time positions are eligible for a discretionary bonus and a comprehensive benefits package.
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Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, stoop, talk and hear
Employee must occasionally lift up to twenty (20) pounds
Work Environment:
Typical indoor office environment
Disclaimer:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people within this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this job.
Global law firm delivering client solutions
McDermott Will & Emery delivers legal counsel and strategic advisory services to corporate leaders around the world through more than 20 locations and a team of over 1,200 lawyers. Its work spans multiple practice areas, including corporate, litigation, healthcare, and intellectual property. The firm operates by forming multidisciplinary teams that work across geographic regions and industries to understand a client’s goals and regulatory context, then develop legal strategies, handle transactions, or represent clients in court. This cross-practice, global integration differentiates it from many competitors by combining diverse specialties and sector insights to address complex challenges. Its goal is to help global leaders achieve their business missions, navigate legal barriers, and drive long-term success for both clients and the markets they operate in.
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