Quality & Material SME – Interior Design

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Job Description:

Parsons is looking for an amazingly talented Quality & Material SME – Interior Design to join our team!

What You'll Be Doing:

1. Strategic Material Selection – Design Stage

The SME shall play a proactive and decisive role in selecting the right materials during concept and detailed design, not merely reviewing submissions.

Key Duties:

• Lead technical evaluation of all interior material proposals before final design freeze.
• Establish Interior Material Selection Criteria Framework, including:
  • Durability under local environmental conditions
  • UV resistance and weathering (where applicable)
  • Fire rating and smoke development compliance
  • Acoustic performance
  • Slip resistance
  • Structural compatibility
  • Sustainability and embodied carbon
  • Maintenance cycle and lifecycle cost
• Conduct comparative material analysis (Value Engineering without quality compromise).
• Approve benchmark materials prior to specification finalization.
• Validate:
  • Marble/stone selection suitability (porosity, structural stability, staining risk)
  • Veneer and engineered wood quality (warping resistance, humidity behavior)
  • Fabric fire classification and durability
  • Adhesives and substrate compatibility
  • Specialized finishes (metal, decorative panels, acoustic treatments)
• Ensure material selection aligns with:
  • Employer’s Requirements
  • Brand standards (if hospitality or luxury)
  • Sustainability strategy
  • Target operational model

2. Enhanced Design Engagement & Governance

The SME must be embedded within the design coordination process.

Expanded Design Engagement Role:

• Participate in:
  • Design charrettes
  • Technical workshops
  • Material board reviews
  • Mock-up definition meetings
  • BIM coordination sessions
• Review and technically validate:
  • Finish schedules
  • Detailed joinery drawings
  • Wall build-ups
  • Interface details (MEP to architectural)
• Define material interface control requirements between:
  • Architecture
  • Interior Design
  • MEP
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Façade (where relevant)
• Develop material risk register for interior works.
• Identify long-lead or high-risk materials early.
• Recommend mock-ups and prototypes during design phase.
• Ensure constructability considerations are embedded into design.

3. Pre-Construction & Procurement Phase

• Review and technically assess:
  • Material submittals (MIR)
  • Shop drawings
  • Mock-ups
  • Sample approvals
• Validate compliance against approved design benchmarks.
• Define Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) criteria for bespoke materials.
• Support vendor technical evaluation and material sourcing strategy.
• Develop Interior Inspection & Test Plan (ITP) framework.

4. Construction Phase Continuity

• Ensure preservation of design intent during execution.
• Participate in:
  • First-of-kind inspections
  • Benchmark installations
  • Factory inspections (local & international)
• Review and close:
  • NCRs related to interior finishes
  • Technical deviation requests
• Verify installation compliance against approved mock-ups.
• Provide technical resolution on site-related material failures or substitutions.

5. Quality Governance & Risk Management

• Define interior material quality KPIs.
• Develop quality control benchmarks for all Work Packages.
• Coordinate with:
  • QA/QC Engineers
  • QA/QC SMEs (Civil, MEP, Architectural)
  • Third-party independent verification
• Conduct focused quality audits on interior materials.
• Implement preventive quality strategy rather than reactive inspection.

6. Lifecycle & Operational Performance Oversight

• Validate long-term performance of materials in high-traffic areas.
• Review maintenance manuals for material-specific compliance.
• Ensure warranty alignment with performance expectations.
• Assess cleaning methods compatibility.
• Evaluate lifecycle replacement strategy for critical finishes.

Authority Level

• Technical approval authority on interior material benchmarks.
• Authority to reject non-compliant material proposals.
• Authority to mandate mock-ups prior to production.
• Authority to escalate material risk to Engineering Leadership.
• Authority to recommend suspension of defective interior works.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture / Interior Design / Architectural Engineering.
• 12–15 years’ experience in Luxury hospitality, High-end residential, Mixed-use mega developments and Giga projects (strongly preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in: Material science for interior applications, Design-stage engagement and Construction-stage quality enforcement

Strong knowledge of:

• Stone & marble systems, Veneer and engineered wood, Bespoke materials/items, Decorative metals, Specialty coatings, Acoustic and fire-rated systems, Adhesive and substrate compatibility

• Certifications (Preferred):

• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
• ASQ-CQE
• LEED or sustainability accreditation

Core Competencies

• Advanced material evaluation capability
• High-level technical judgment
• Risk-based quality thinking
• Cross-disciplinary coordination
• Strong constructability understanding
• Detail-oriented with executive-level communication
• Experience in luxury-grade finish standards

Giga Project Performance Expectations

• Material risks eliminated at design stage.
• Zero compromise on finish quality.
• Strict benchmark-driven quality execution.
• Alignment with world-class design aspirations.
• Continuity of quality from concept to handover.

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!