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Stage Designer Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

C10 Labs

Founding Product Designer

Washington, DC · On-site

$40 - $50/hr

Buckstop is looking for a highly talented Founding Product Designer to help shape the user ... Experience in startup or early-stage environments * Familiarity with data-heavy applications ...

Twenty

Senior/Staff Product Designer

Arlington, VA

We're hiring a Senior/Staff Product Designer to own key product/design areas for Twenty's mission ... Experience at an early-stage startup or as an early design hire. * Experience building design ...

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All JobsStage Designer JobsStage Designer Jobs in Reston, VA

Stage Designer information

See Reston, VA salary details

$36.9K

$86.5K

$114.4K

How much do stage designer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for stage designer in Reston, VA is $86,504.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $60,300.00 and $113,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How do you become a stage designer?

To become a stage designer, individuals typically pursue a bachelor's degree in theater design, set design, or a related field. Gaining experience through internships, building a portfolio, and developing skills in drafting, painting, and computer-aided design (CAD) are essential steps in establishing a career in stage design.

What is the difference between Stage Designer vs Set Designer?

AspectStage DesignerSet Designer
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in theater, design, or related fieldOften requires a degree in theater, architecture, or interior design
Work EnvironmentWorks primarily on live theater, concerts, and performancesWorks on film, television, and theatrical productions
Industry UsageCommonly used in theater and live performance industriesCommonly used in film, TV, and stage productions

While both Stage Designer and Set Designer create visual environments, the Stage Designer focuses on designing the overall stage layout for live performances, ensuring functionality and aesthetic appeal. The Set Designer, on the other hand, primarily designs the physical scenery and backgrounds for theater, film, or TV productions. Their roles often overlap, but their specific focus and work environments differ.

What is the highest paid design job?

In the field of design, executive roles such as Creative Director or Design Director tend to be the highest paid, often earning six-figure salaries. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and a strong portfolio, typically within advertising, branding, or digital media companies.

What are some common challenges Stage Designers face when working on live productions?

Stage Designers often encounter challenges such as balancing creative vision with budgetary or technical constraints, adapting designs to different venues, and collaborating with directors and other departments like lighting, sound, and costumes. Meeting tight deadlines and making real-time adjustments during rehearsals are also common aspects of the role. Strong communication and problem-solving skills are crucial to navigate these challenges and deliver visually compelling and practical stage environments.

Is AI replacing designers?

AI is increasingly used as a tool to assist stage designers in tasks such as visualizing concepts, generating set designs, and automating repetitive work. However, creative decision-making, artistic vision, and hands-on craftsmanship remain essential aspects of the role that AI cannot fully replicate. Stage designers continue to rely on their expertise, creativity, and collaboration skills alongside technological tools.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Stage Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Stage Designer, you need a solid background in set design, spatial awareness, visual arts, and often a degree in theater design or a related field. Familiarity with design software like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite, as well as knowledge of stagecraft and lighting systems, is typically required. Creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and strong communication skills set outstanding stage designers apart. These skills ensure effective realization of artistic visions, smooth coordination with production teams, and the creation of impactful stage environments.

How much do theatre set designers get paid?

Theatre set designers typically earn between $30,000 and $80,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and the scale of productions. Salaries can vary widely for freelance designers and those working in regional theaters versus major productions or Broadway shows. Many set designers also supplement income through additional work or consulting.

What does a stage designer do?

A stage designer, also known as a set designer, is responsible for creating the visual environment of a theater production, concert, or event. They design sets, props, and sometimes lighting to help bring the director’s vision to life and enhance the storytelling. Stage designers collaborate closely with directors, costume designers, and lighting designers to ensure all visual elements work together. Their work includes sketching ideas, building models, selecting materials, and overseeing the construction and installation of sets.
What are popular job titles related to Stage Designer jobs in Reston, VA? For Stage Designer jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Stage Designer jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Stage Designer job openings:
Stage Designer jobs near you
Human-Centered Designer

Human-Centered Designer

BOOZ, ALLEN & HAMILTON, INC.

Reston, VA • On-site

$86K - $198K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired 1 day ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Booz Allen Hamilton rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 47 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

9th of 58 rated business consultants

Job description

Human-Centered Designer
The Opportunity:
We've shipped the first generation of agentic AI, and now we're moving quickly to go deeper with user-built agents, multi-agent orchestration, and platform teams that can extend themselves. We are a small, startup-minded team that ships fast and owns what we build end-to-end. We are looking for a human- center ed designer to own the end-to-end experience of ARPA-H's production AI assistant G RACE , including how users understand it, t rus t it, and get real work done with it. Designing for agentic AI is hard, output is probabilistic, workflows are open-ended, and t rus t is earned interaction by interaction. You will shape how G RACE feels, while operating within the privacy, security, and responsible-use requirements of our mission and the federal environment.
What You'll Work On:
  • Own the design of G RACE across research, interaction, and visual design, being accountable for whether the experience works for users.
  • Design interaction patterns for agentic AI, including conversational flows, tool-call and reasoning visibility, human-in-the-loop con firm ations, error and uncertainty states, and g race ful handling of partial or long-running responses.
  • Design how G RACE presents rich output legibly and t rus tworthily, including citations, tables, diagrams, maps, generated images, and long-form results.
  • Bring and apply industry best practices and emerging design patterns specific to agentic AI, including agent transparency, controllability, memory and context, multi-agent workflows, and letting users build and direct their own agents.
  • Create the flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs that turn ambiguous problems into shippable interfaces.
  • Own and evolve a design system so the product stays consistent, accessible, and fast to extend.
  • Talk to ARPA-H users and comprehend their workflows, goals, and where G RACE helps or gets in the way.
  • Run lightweight, high-velocity research through interviews, usability tests, and concept validation that fit a team that ships weekly, not quarterly.
  • Turn research into clear, prioritized insights that the team can act on, and close the loop by measuring whether changes helped.
  • Build a durable understanding of who G RACE serves and advocate for them in every decision.
  • Design for t rus t as a first-class outcome.
  • Design for the realities of AI, including hallucination, uncertainty, latency, and failure.
  • Ensure accessibility is designed in from the start.
  • Bring genuine care for the sensitivity of the mission.
  • Work hand-in-hand with engineers, the applied researcher, and product to translate design intent into shipped product, including closely with front-end so fidelity and interaction detail survive to production.
  • Prototype quickly, get it in front of users, and iterate.
  • Communicate design decisions clearly to both designers and non-designers, and make the rationale, not just the mockup, legible to the team.

Join us. The world can't wait.
You Have:
  • 7+ years of experience in a product design or UX design field, displaying a portfolio of shipped products
  • Experience designing for AI, LLM, chat, or agentic products, including streaming responses, citation and source display, tool-call visibility, and for uncertain or probabilistic output
  • Experience across the full design process, including research, interaction design, and visual or UI design
  • Experience with modern design tools such as Figma, including components, prototyping, and design systems
  • Experience planning and running interviews and usability tests, and turning findings into decisions
  • Experience shipping complex, interactive products in high-velocity environments where you owned the experience end-to-end
  • Knowledge of industry best practices and design patterns specific to agentic AI, including agent transparency, controllability, human-in-the-loop, and multi-agent workflows
  • Ability to pay strict attention to detail with a high bar for quality and commitment to accessibility, including WCAG or Section 508
  • Ability to be a self-starter and clear communicator who works with a high sense of urgency, gives and receives feedback well, works closely with engineers, and makes the people around them better
  • Bachelor's degree

Nice If You Have:
  • Experience working closely with implementation, including reading the front-end, comprehending what React and Chainlit make easy or hard, and designing within real constraints
  • Experience building or contributing to design systems at scale
  • Experience designing productivity tools, research tools, or other complex information-dense products
  • Experience in startup or early-stage environments
  • Ability to be comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and wearing multiple hats
  • Possession of strong interaction and visual design skills

Compensation
At Booz Allen, we celebrate your contributions, provide you with opportunities and choices, and support your total well-being. Our offerings include health, life, disability, financial, and retirement benefits, as well as paid leave, professional development, tuition assistance, work-life programs, and dependent care. Our recognition awards program acknowledges employees for exceptional performance and superior demonstration of our values. Full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours a week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in Booz Allen's benefit programs. Individuals that do not meet the threshold are only eligible for select offerings, not inclusive of health benefits. We encourage you to learn more about our total benefits by visiting the Resource page on our Careers site and reviewing Our Employee Benefits page.
Salary at Booz Allen is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. The projected compensation range for this position is $86,800.00 to $198,000.00 (annualized USD). The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Booz Allen's total compensation package for employees. This posting will close within 90 days from the Posting Date.
Identity Statement
As part of the hiring process, we will ask you to complete an identity verification process that leverages advanced biometrics and artificial intelligence to ensure authenticity and protect against identity fraud. You are expected to be on camera during interviews and assessments. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud.
Candidate AI Usage Policy
AI is a part of our daily work at Booz Allen, and we are committed to the responsible and ethical use of AI tools. However, we want to ensure a fair candidate process based on your own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is prohibited unless permission is explicitly provided.
Work Model
Our people-first culture prioritizes the benefits of collaboration, whether it occurs in person or virtually. To support engagement and effective communication, employees working virtually are generally expected to have their cameras on during meetings.
  • Remote: If this position is listed as remote, there may still be occasions when you are required to work in person at a Booz Allen or customer facility.
  • Hybrid: If this position is listed as hybrid, you will be expected to work from a Booz Allen facility frequently, in alignment with leadership expectations and the needs of the role. You may also be required to work from or visit a customer facility.
  • Onsite: If this position is listed as onsite, work will primarily be performed at a Booz Allen office or customer facility, where employees will collaborate directly with colleagues and customers as required by the role.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.

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About Booz Allen Hamilton

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Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading provider of management and technology consulting services to the US government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, the firm also serves major corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. Founded in 1914 by Edwin G. Booz, the company has a long-standing tradition of helping clients achieve success by delivering a wide range of consulting services that include strategic planning, human capital and learning, communication, systems development, and others. The company's mission is to empower people to change the world, and it has a reputation for maintaining the highest standards of integrity and-excellence.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

McLean, VA, US

Year founded

1914

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