Property Lead Designer

Howdens Joinery has an opportunity for a creative, conceptual property design lead, with architectural, or retail design experience to join the property team in a permanent position as Property Lead Designer. This role offers a blend of office, field and home working with travel across our depot estate and to our offices in Raunds, Croxley and Central London.

As Property Lead Designer, you are responsible for leading and managing the property design team, for setting the strategic design direction for the business, and providing creative conceptualisation, initiating research activities for design evolution and developing and delivering high quality design services for the business in the UK and Ireland.

You will exhibit strong leadership and project management capability to bring successful and creative concepts to life. In addition, a key element of this role will be to collaborate and influence senior internal and external stakeholders including working with the CEO and trade COO, to develop cohesive design plans, concepts and prototypes, ensuring all design outputs meet the needs of the business.

What will I be doing?

• Create and establish design briefs for new concepts and new features, specifications, solutions and materials to meet the company’s business objectives
• Generate creative concept design, including visualisation, new concept design tools, new innovative materials & fixture and furniture development
• Ensure design projects are properly scoped, researched, resourced and with clear measurable objectives to meet the needs of the business
• Evaluate and manage risks on design projects, developing solutions where possible
• Work with external design agencies, contractors, consultants and architects to deliver design projects to time, budget and high quality

• Effectively manage and influence key stakeholders to ensure design projects are effectively communicated and delivered to customer expectations, and liaise with other departments including operations and finance to update project timelines and cost control
• Setting, measuring and managing property design team’s strategic goals.
• Initial focus on supporting the delivery of two key strategic goals:
• Continuous improvement of our depot reformat design, through innovative and new conceptual thinking.
• The iteration of design of our smaller format depots to enable the continued growth of the business in Cities and smaller markets

• Prepare and deliver presentations showcasing new concepts to key stakeholders from CEO level down
• Regular attendance at Reformat and Regional Property meetings to provide detailed explanations of complex design solutions

What we are looking for:

• Educated to degree level with Retail Design or Architectural experience, or equivalent qualifications.
• Proven experience in concept design and successful delivery of complex, multi-dimensional design projects to time and budget in fast moving commercial businesses
• Experience of leading creative teams with focus on specialised store and fixture design
• Ability to read architectural drawings, knowledge of building code, Health and Safety, DDA, CDM and Fire Regulations and experience of store design software solutions
• Expertise in CAD, 2D and 3D visualisation programs plus Microsoft applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Proven exceptional stakeholder management and communications skills
• Proven experience in a fast-paced commercial organisation
• Strong concept design skills, brings extensive design network, research and analytical capabilities and organisational skills with proven diligence
• Good understanding of building and architectural design
• Collaborator, focused on achieving results through the combined efforts of the wider team.
• Drive, collaboration, and commitment to completion of design projects
• Ability to work as part of a wide team and influence all parties involved in property design matters from CEO level down
• Works well under pressure and manages to deadlines

What we can offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Generous annual company bonus of 15% of base salary with a stretch target to 25%
• Company car or annual car allowance of £7,300
• Private medical insurance
• Excellent pension scheme (company contribution of up to 12%)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays with the option to buy additional days
• Subsidised lunch at our onsite restaurant, or free refreshments and snacks (dependent on office location)
• Staff Discount
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional Reward and Recognition events.

About Us:

Howdens Joinery is the UK’s number one trade kitchen supplier providing thousands of products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware. We have over 800 depots throughout the UK and Europe – making us the first choice for more than 460,000 loyal trade professionals. With an ambitious and credible growth plan, we continue to build on our £2.3 billion sales made last year.

There is a strong entrepreneurial ethos and the opportunity to develop within a fast-paced and commercial environment. That, along with a competitive salary, development opportunities, and exciting rewards, are among the reasons why our people enjoy working for Howdens – and why we have been named as one of the 10 Best Big Companies to Work For.

How to apply

We are building a future where world-class service, innovation, and sustainability are embedded within our DNA. If Howdens sounds like the kind of place where you can build and develop your career, then we are keen to hear from you.

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