Location: Greater Asheville, NC
Job Type: Full-time, on-site
Salary: $55,000–$65,000 per year, depending on experience
Additional Compensation: Project-based performance bonus opportunity
Reports To: Project Manager and Director of Operations

Help Bring Luxury Interior Designs to Life

Ishita Interiors is a luxury short-term rental design firm serving well-capitalized real estate investors in the Greater Asheville market and beyond. We help clients create distinctive, high-performing properties through three levels of service:

Tier 1: Virtual Design
Our team creates the design plan and provides the client with the direction needed to execute it.

Tier 2: Design, Procurement, and Staging
Our team manages the design, purchasing, receiving, delivery, and staging of the property.

Tier 3: Full-Service Design and Construction
Our team manages the complete project. We oversee the design, run the construction bidding process, coordinate the general contractor and trades, manage construction progress, complete procurement and staging, and hand the client a finished property.

This position lives primarily within Tier 3.

We are seeking an experienced Interior Design Project Coordinator to coordinate the construction side of our full-service design projects. You will manage bidding, contractor communication, construction schedules, field coordination, change orders, project documentation, quality control, and conflict resolution.

You may also coordinate with our procurement and staging teams when their work directly affects a Tier 3 construction project. Procurement-only Tier 2 projects remain with the procurement team and are not part of this position’s primary responsibilities.

This is not an administrative project coordinator position. You will be actively involved in the realities of interior design implementation and residential construction. You must be able to communicate confidently with general contractors, subcontractors, trades, clients, and our internal design team.

The right person recognizes problems early, understands how design decisions translate into the finished space, keeps projects organized, and brings solutions when the schedule and reality no longer match.

This position is designed to grow into a full Project Manager role based on demonstrated performance.

You will work on distinctive luxury properties and play an important role in turning creative design concepts into beautifully finished spaces.

You will have the opportunity to own meaningful work, solve complex design and construction challenges, build trusted contractor relationships, and advance into a Project Manager position based on clearly defined performance benchmarks.

If you have relevant interior design, construction, general contracting, new construction, or architectural experience and take pride in delivering organized, high-quality projects, we would like to hear from you.

Please submit your resume and briefly describe a design or construction project in which you resolved a contractor delay, trade conflict, budget issue, design challenge, or significant site problem in a cover letter.

Construction Bidding and Budget Coordination

• Prepare and package scopes of work for pre-vetted general contractors

• Issue requests for bids and manage the bidding process

• Review and level proposals so pricing and scope can be compared accurately

• Identify omissions, inconsistencies, and potential budget concerns

• Make contractor recommendations supported by clear numbers and documentation

• Negotiate scope and pricing with general contractors and trades

• Hold contractors accountable to the amount that was bid

• Document and obtain approval for change orders before additional work begins

• Track budget variances, cost increases, and the reasons behind them

Contractor and Trade Coordination

• Serve as the primary communication channel between the design team and all general contractors and subcontractors

• Ensure field questions come through you and answers are communicated clearly and consistently

• Coordinate the sequence and timing of general contractors, subcontractors, and trades

• Track project dependencies and resolve scheduling conflicts

• Address missed deadlines, incomplete work, and contractor performance concerns

• Resolve field conflicts when possible and escalate larger issues with a thoughtful recommendation

• Verify licensing, insurance, and W-9 documentation before contractors are scheduled to begin work

Design Implementation and Site Oversight

• Understand the approved design and help ensure it is executed correctly in the finished space

• Review floor plans, construction documents, electrical layouts, and design specifications

• Recognize when site conditions or construction work conflict with the approved design

• Build, maintain, and manage the construction schedule for each assigned Tier 3 project

• Identify potential delays early and escalate concerns before they affect final delivery

• Conduct a feasibility site walk before procurement begins

• Complete progress walks throughout construction

• Lead the final punch-list walk at the end of the project

• Inspect completed work against the approved design specifications

• Address work that does not meet the required quality standard before the client sees it

• Document site conditions, project delays, contractor correspondence, decisions, and root causes

Communication and Accountability

• Provide timely and professional communication to clients, contractors, and the internal team

• Maintain organized written records of project decisions and changes

• Bring solutions and recommendations instead of simply reporting problems

• Hold contractors accountable for schedule, quality, communication, and delivery

• Protect the client experience and Ishita Interiors’ reputation throughout every project

General contractors and trades are independent businesses rather than Ishita Interiors employees. Clients may pay contractors directly on some engagements, while Ishita Interiors may hold the agreement on others. In either structure, you will manage the relationship, coordinate the work, and help ensure successful delivery.

What Success Looks Like

Your performance will be measured in three primary areas:

On-Time Delivery: Projects are completed according to schedule or within the approved tolerance. Delays caused by client-directed scope changes or previously hidden conditions will be documented separately.

Budget Control: Projects are completed at or under the approved budget. Legitimate increases caused by hidden structural issues or client-approved changes must be clearly documented.

Client Satisfaction: Clients receive responsive communication, professional coordination, effective problem-solving, and a finished project that reflects the approved design.

Project-based bonus eligibility begins when a Tier 3 project is completed, and final client payment has been received. Bonus performance is based on on-time delivery, budget management, and client satisfaction.

Who Could Be Successful in This Role?

We are open to candidates with relevant expertise from several professional backgrounds, including:

• Interior design project coordination or interior design project management

• Residential or light commercial general contracting

• General management or project management for new construction

• New-home construction, remodeling, or renovation coordination

• Architectural project coordination or architectural design

• Supporting the design and construction process for new residential properties

• Coordinating contractors and trades for design-build projects

Regardless of your specific background, you must understand how design plans translate into construction and how construction decisions affect the finished design.

• Five or more years of relevant experience in interior design, residential construction, general contracting, new construction, architecture, or a closely related field

• Hands-on experience coordinating with general contractors, subcontractors, designers, architects, or trades

• Experience preparing, reviewing, or leveling construction bids

• The confidence to question or defend a bid or line item when necessary

• Ability to read floor plans, construction documents, electrical layouts, and design specifications

• Ability to identify missing information or potential design and construction problems before work begins

• Experience coordinating multiple contractors, trades, schedules, and project dependencies

• Understanding of construction sequencing, budgets, change orders, and punch lists

• Experience handling contractor delays, trade conflicts, quality concerns, and unexpected site conditions

• Confidence discussing scope and pricing with contractors and subcontractors

• Strong organizational skills and disciplined written documentation habits

• Ability to solve problems independently and escalate concerns with a recommended course of action

• Professional communication skills and the ability to remain composed under pressure

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

• Residence in or near the Greater Asheville area

In this role, if it is not in writing, it did not happen. We need someone who understands the importance of documenting site conditions, contractor commitments, budget changes, schedule delays, and project decisions.

Your Growth Path

This position is designed to grow into a full Project Manager role. Advancement is based on demonstrated performance rather than a predetermined promotion date.

Readiness for promotion will include:

• Successfully coordinating two Tier 3 construction projects from beginning to end at or under budget

• Leading and documenting at least one complete construction bid cycle

• Delivering clean punch lists and receiving final client sign-off on both projects

The Project Manager role adds greater authority, including final budget approval, contractor agreement sign-off, and ownership of the broader Tier 3 project portfolio.

Important Role Boundaries

Although an interior design background may be valuable, this position does not own final design decisions, design changes, or design approvals. Those responsibilities remain with the design team.

Your responsibility is to understand the design, identify conflicts, coordinate its implementation, and ensure the finished work aligns with the approved specifications. When a site condition requires a design decision, you will document and escalate it rather than redesigning the solution independently.

Ishita Interiors provides design-intent documentation. We do not issue stamped schematics or engineered electrical drawings. Permit and engineered drawings must come from the appropriate licensed contractor or professional. You will coordinate that process but will not represent design-intent documents as engineered plans.

This is also not a procurement or warehouse position. Procurement-only Tier 2 projects belong to the procurement team. You will coordinate with procurement and staging only when those functions directly support a Tier 3 construction project.

Most importantly, this is not a passive note-taking position. You will be accountable for bidding, scheduling, contractor coordination, design implementation, documentation, quality control, and responsive communication across every Tier 3 project you support.

Position Requirements

This is a full-time, on-site position based in the Greater Asheville area. Regular travel to active project sites is required. Remote work is not available for this position.

Ishita Interiors is a luxury hospitality design firm specializing in vacation homes, boutique hotels, resorts, and high-performing short-term rentals across the United States.

We combine architecture, interior design, guest psychology, and strategic planning to help investors create unforgettable guest experiences while maximizing property performance.