Kitchen Design Manager
Company
Home Surplus is where kitchens come to life. For over 60 years we've been the go-to warehouse superstore for cabinets, countertops, doors, and more — offering serious in-stock selection, real design expertise, and service you can count on. After six decades as a single beloved location, we're now scaling fast: 5 stores across NJ and MD and growing, with our sights set on a national footprint. We run on five core values — Customer Obsessed, Grow Daily, Do It Right, Own It, and Team First — and we're looking for a leader who lives them every day.
Position
The Kitchen Design Manager is the heartbeat of the sales floor — a player-coach who turns walk-ins into loyal customers and turns a team of designers and salespeople into a powerhouse. You'll own the customer experience from the first "hello" all the way through the warm handoff to our operations team, while building and developing a showroom team that genuinely loves what they do. You'll sit on the store leadership team alongside the Operations Manager and Pro Experience Manager, all reporting to the Chief Experience Manager (CXM). This is a real growth opportunity in a company that's expanding fast, with advancement paths for leaders who deliver.
Success here comes down to four things we obsess over: Repeat business, Referral business, employee Retention, and our Google Rating (we're chasing 4.8 stars). If you can drive all four, you'll thrive in this role.
Primary Responsibility
Drive sales growth, continuous improvement, and standout customer experiences by:
- Owning the sales process seamlessly, from first quote request to closed sale.
- Leading by example as the product and design expert — the Source of Truth everyone turns to.
- Playing offense: growing the store's customer base by partnering closely with the PXM and CXM.
- Bringing a warm, consultative, expert approach to every customer interaction — the kind that earns repeat business and referrals.
- Hiring, coaching, and developing a showroom team that consistently hits individual and team metrics.
- Dividing up the work smartly — matching people to priorities so the whole team wins.
- Keeping the showroom clean, organized, and merchandised like the best in the business.
Additional Responsibilities
- Own and manage our 2020 design catalogs.
- Become fluent in the Home Surplus product screen and sharp on how we stack up against the competition.
- Use our systems to communicate sharply and keep processes running smoothly.
- Partner with store and corporate leadership to bring the Home Surplus Customer Promise to life every day.
- Be a voice for the customer — feed trends and product requests back to merchandising.
- Build a team culture people genuinely want to be part of.
- Keep the showroom safe and hazard-free, with everything properly displayed and secured.
- Roll up your sleeves and collaborate across the store to make Home Surplus an incredible place to work and shop.
What Success Looks Like
- Meeting and exceeding quarterly sales budgets, quarter over quarter.
- A 60%+ close rate on designer quotes and 85%+ on walk-in customers.
- Growing Pro business by building real relationships with contractors and their clients.
- A 4.8-star Google rating.
- A team that sticks around — high retention through a culture people love.
- Internal promotions that prove you're developing real talent.
Requirements
- You've led a showroom, department, or store in home design/supply retail — and you're ready to grow fast in a company that's scaling.
- You're a skilled kitchen designer who genuinely loves teaching and coaching others.
- You know your way around kitchen fixtures and the basics of residential construction.
- You show up polished — strong verbal skills and writing that's a cut above.
- You close deals and follow through until the job's done.
- You're organized, and it shows.
- You listen more than you talk — and people notice.
- You read a room and connect with people naturally.
- You're warm. You genuinely like people.
- You lead with enthusiasm, fairness, and consistency.
- You bring creative ideas but know how to work within a proven sales process.
- You're comfortable with technology — we run on NetSuite, 2020, Salesforce, and more.
- You can flex your schedule, including Saturdays — this is retail, after all.
- You communicate clearly in English; other languages are a great bonus.
Physical/Environmental Requirements
This role lives in a showroom/warehouse retail environment during traditional retail hours. You'll be:
- At a desktop computer for extended stretches.
- On your feet for extended stretches.
- Talking — in person, on the phone, and on video.
Compensation
- Competitive salary plus monthly and annual bonuses.
- Full benefits: Health, Vision, Dental, EAP, Disability, Life. PTO. 401k.
- Real advancement opportunities as we keep growing fast.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Home Surplus is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or civil union status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process.