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Tesolife

Store Construction & Design Specialist

Interior DesignUpdated on Nov 15
Full-timeFlushing, Queens, NY, USA

About the Job

Requirements

  • An associate degree or higher is required; architectural drafting, interior design, environmental design, construction management, or a related field is preferred.
  • At least 2 years of experience in retail space planning, architectural or interior drafting, shelving, or commercial project design implementation is required.
  • Shelving purchasing, production, or cross-border order tracking experience is preferred.
  • Knowledge of AutoCAD, SketchUp or similar tools; retail floor plans; shelving and display fixtures; basic architectural and MEP drawing interpretation; bills of materials and quantity takeoffs; Excel; revision control; and supplier production and logistics tracking is required.
  • Good Chinese and English communication is required.
  • The role requires spatial reasoning, dimensional and quantity accuracy, attention to detail, multi-project scheduling, communication, risk awareness, version discipline, accountability, learning agility, and cross-time-zone coordination.

Responsibilities

  • Receive new-store base plans, site measurements, photographs and videos, landlord standards, floor area, address, column grid, doors and windows, entrances and exits, existing MEP conditions, and other project materials.
  • Check drawing scale, critical dimensions, ceiling heights, columns, walls, doors, back-of-house conditions, and known constraints; request additional field measurements from the drafter or escalate missing or conflicting information to the Construction Manager.
  • Create project IDs, drafting schedules, revision numbers, and document directories to prevent information from being mixed across stores or project stages.
  • Identify locally licensed drafters, architects, or engineers with retail project experience and compile their licenses, quotations, service scopes, schedules, and relevant projects for Construction Manager approval.
  • Confirm storefront renovation requirements and overall design direction with the Construction Manager, communicate requirements to the drafter, and coordinate execution.
  • Prepare internal layouts under company store formats and construction standards, planning customer flow, main aisles, category areas, shelving, endcaps, promotional displays, checkout, entrances, and back-of-house areas, including stockroom, office, employee, receiving, and replenishment flow.
  • Define shelving and equipment types, dimensions, quantities, spacing, orientation, and placement based on operational needs and site constraints, balancing space utilization, merchandising capacity, efficiency, and constructability.
  • Transfer approved layouts, functional requirements, landlord standards, and site information to approved local licensed designers; coordinate measurements and agree on design milestones.
  • Check architectural, MEP, fire, and life-safety permit drawings produced by licensed local designers against confirmed business layouts and functional requirements; identify discrepancies and coordinate corrections.
  • Submit preliminary shelving layouts to Merchandising and confirm category zones, shelving counts, featured products and display locations, and capacity requirements.
  • Revise layouts based on Merchandising feedback, maintain approval records, and recalculate and seek Construction Manager approval for significant changes to category proportions, shelving quantity, or location.
  • After merchandising layout confirmation, define locations and quantities of checkout counters, stockroom shelving, equipment, business-side power and data points, network, surveillance, anti-theft, and other operating needs.
  • Provide business needs for electrical loads, fire safety, egress, structural, and accessibility requirements; licensed local architects and engineers own code-compliant design and final confirmation.
  • Compile final internal layouts, shelving and equipment schedules, critical dimensions, functional requirements, and Merchandising signoffs into a complete handoff package for Construction Manager review.
  • After manager approval, release controlled design materials through the Construction Specialist to locally licensed drafters, architects, or engineers for formal permit drawings and applications.
  • Support the Construction Specialist in design coordination with local contractors; clarify shelving, checkout, stockroom, equipment, and functional requirements; reconfirm changes caused by local codes, site conditions, or construction needs.
  • Check architectural, MEP, fire, and life-safety permit drawings against approved business layouts and requirements; coordinate correction of discrepancies.
  • Track landlord reviews, government submissions, plan review comments, and drawing revisions; coordinate permit applications through receipt of the building permit.
  • Identify and coordinate available permit-expediting resources with landlords, partner contractors, and other parties to address approval delays.
  • Coordinate layout, code, and construction conflicts raised by local designers with the Construction Manager and drafting team; obtain internal approval before changing approved business plans.
  • Maintain the boundary that local licensed designers own local code review, professional design, seals, and approval responsibilities; communicate requirements, check design alignment, coordinate functions, and track approvals.
  • Capture lessons across store sizes and formats and improve standardized layout templates, shelving modules, and handoff packages.
  • Prepare shelving bills of materials and purchase lists from approved drawings, verifying uprights, shelves, back panels, endcaps, hooks, dividers, accessories, colors, heights, dimensions, quantities, and reasonable spares.
  • Confirm standard models, packaging, lead times, quotations, transportation, and store-delivery requirements with designated suppliers in China; prepare order approval packages.
  • Place formal orders only after relevant Merchandising confirmation and Construction Manager approval; obtain re-approval for changes to quantity, specification, color, supplier, price, or delivery date.
  • Maintain order, purchase order, sample and specification approval, production revision, and payment milestone records; ensure drawings, bills of materials, and orders match.
  • Track shelving production in China, quality inspections, packaging, dispatch, shipping, expected store delivery, and receipt; update project logs.
  • Provide the Construction Specialist with delivery schedules, carton counts, unloading and storage requirements in advance; coordinate site readiness for receiving and installation.
  • Assist with receipt checks for quantities, specifications, colors, damage, missing parts, and wrong shipments; document exceptions, photographs, and owners.
  • Drive supplier replacement parts, rework, exchange, return, or credits to closure without affecting installation or opening; escalate major delays promptly.
  • Control changes arising from Merchandising, the Construction Manager, licensed local designers, site construction, and shelving order feedback; record reasons, dates, approvers, and applicability.
  • Ensure the Construction Specialist, local designers, contractors, and suppliers use the same current version; clearly void and archive superseded versions.
  • Maintain standard shelving drawings, store layout templates, checkout and stockroom modules, bill-of-materials pricing, and supplier specification libraries for efficient replication.
  • Attend weekly construction meetings and report drafting, merchandising approvals, management reviews, shelving production and shipping, and exceptions.

Desired Qualifications

  • Architectural drafting, interior design, environmental design, construction management, or a related field is preferred.
  • Shelving purchasing, production, or cross-border order tracking experience is preferred.

About the Company

Tesolife

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