Design Associate Jobs in Columbia, TN (NOW HIRING)

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Engineering & Science

The Senior Manager, Construction & Design leads the strategic and operational direction of Bridgestone Retail Operations’ nationwide construction and store design programs. This role oversees new store development, ground‑up construction, remodels, and existing store modifications while guiding a high‑performing team of in‑house Design and Construction professionals and managing key external vendor partnerships. The position is accountable for milestone and budget management, vendor performance, prototype and standards governance, and ongoing analysis of building costs and design trends to drive efficiency and innovation across the portfolio.

This role is based in Nashville, TN.

Leadership & Team Direction

• Lead internal Design and Construction teams as well as third‑party consultants and contractors, ensuring high performance, compliance, and alignment with project goals.
• Direct team activities across new store development, prototype maintenance, sustainable design research, and store optimization initiatives.
• Oversee execution of all design, construction, and build‑out needs while supporting Facilities on major structural repair projects requiring external design services.

Project Delivery & Construction Management

• Manage end‑to‑end delivery of greenfield, conversion, and build‑to‑suit construction projects across the U.S., ensuring on‑time, on‑budget completion aligned with design specifications, building codes, and contract/lease requirements.
• Evaluate high‑cost or complex projects with New Store Development Managers to develop creative, cost‑effective design and construction solutions.
• Resolve construction issues including liens, contract disputes, latent defects, and contractor non‑compliance.

Budgeting, Cost Control & Financial Stewardship

• Develop and maintain project budgets; provide weekly reporting on status, cost tracking, and schedule progress; approve scopes of work and estimates for special funding requests.
• Drive value‑engineering initiatives to reduce costs while maintaining design intent and operational requirements.
• Maintain and expand annual construction cost reporting and trend analysis to support forecasting of future prototype costs.
• Process contracts and payments while analyzing Design and Construction spending against approved budgets.

Cross‑Functional & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with IT, Procurement, Marketing, Operations, Real Estate, and Portfolio teams to ensure alignment on program timelines, store turnover, acquisitions, conversions, lease obligations, and capital construction requirements.
• Support Executive leadership in administering construction, architectural, and engineering processes, standards, and reporting systems.

Standards, Processes & Continuous Improvement

• Lead development and implementation of standardized documents for capital project requests and other construction workflows.
• Maintain and refine vendor evaluation methods to ensure compliance with BSRO design and construction processes and performance expectations.
• Direct updates to BSRO prototype design plans to reflect code changes, marketing strategies, cost‑reduction initiatives, and design efficiencies.
• Research industry standards, construction methodologies, sustainability practices, and commodity trends to ensure BSRO remains current and competitive.

Sustainability & Innovation

• Guide research and evaluation of sustainable design initiatives, including construction sustainability methods, LEED certification opportunities, and renewable energy alternatives.
• Promote innovative building design and delivery models that support corporate and financial objectives while managing scope, cost, schedule, vendors, and contractual deliverables.

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Architecture, or Engineering.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in the development, design, planning and/or management of multiple retail construction projects.
• Minimum of 10 years hands‑on in‑house (a portion may be in a closely related role such as developer or consultant) management experience for an expanding retailer.
• Working knowledge of all construction disciplines including civil, structural, architectural, electrical and mechanical engineering.
• Experience working in a build‑to‑suit (BTS) development program.
• Experience managing internal/external resources (or personally performing) in the design/development/entitlement process.
• Excellent analytical, planning, management/team building/organizational and communication skills.
• Proficient at reading and interpreting legal documents such as contracts, leases, and master service agreements.
• Proficient at reading Architectural and Engineering plans.

Nice to Have:

• AutoCAD and/or Bluebeam knowledge and experience

We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they bring their whole self to work. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. So, show us what you are made of, because who you are is what we need.

At Bridgestone, what really matters is to foster co‑creation opportunities and empower you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive compensation; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long‑term well‑being.
• A diverse and inclusive team.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

If hired, a Form I‑9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.