Head of Design – D&B in London

85,000

100,000

ABOUT THE COMPANY

I am currently supporting a leading UK workplace design, interiors, architecture and fit-out business on a confidential search for a Head of Design.
The organisation has established an exceptional reputation for creating high-quality, engaging and highly considered workplace environments for a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from ambitious start-ups and growing businesses to global enterprises and institutional landlords.
With a substantial project portfolio and ambitious growth plans, the business is now looking for an outstanding design leader to shape the next chapter of its creative direction.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Head of Design will play a pivotal role in defining and elevating the company’s design proposition.
This is a senior, hands-on leadership position for someone who combines exceptional creative instinct with strong commercial awareness, client presence and the ability to inspire and develop a high-performing design team.
You will be responsible for maintaining consistently high design standards across projects, whilst bringing a distinctive point of view and ensuring every scheme is tailored to the client, brief, budget and wider business objectives.
A significant part of the role will involve leading the design response during the pre-pitch and client-winning stages, as well as providing creative leadership throughout project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and inspire a team of designers, creating a collaborative, ambitious and innovative design culture.
  • Shape design strategies and narratives for major client pitches and opportunities.
  • Lead client meetings, workplace consultations, site visits and briefing sessions.
  • Translate client requirements and feedback into compelling, commercially viable design solutions.
  • Develop distinctive concepts, spatial strategies, presentations and 2D/3D design outputs.
  • Confidently present and defend creative concepts to senior clients in a competitive pitch environment.
  • Ensure design solutions are both creatively ambitious and commercially aligned with project budgets.
  • Oversee design development from initial concept through to project completion.
  • Lead space planning, block planning, adjacency studies, detailed design and design coordination.
  • Work closely with Technical Design, Commercial, Project Management, Creative and other internal teams.
  • Oversee material, finishes, furniture and fixture selection and coordinate relevant schedules.
  • Maintain design quality and consistency throughout project delivery.
  • Support value engineering whilst protecting the integrity and intent of the design.
  • Identify project and client risks early and provide clear solutions.
  • Mentor and develop Junior, Mid-Weight and Senior Designers.
  • Monitor team dynamics, development needs and resourcing requirements.
  • Keep the business at the forefront of workplace design trends, materials, technology and best practice.

REQUIREMENTS

What We’re Looking For The ideal candidate will be an established workplace/interior design leader with a strong portfolio and a proven track record of winning and delivering complex, high-quality projects.
You’ll likely bring:

  • Significant experience within workplace, commercial interiors, architecture, fit-out or a closely related environment.
  • A strong creative point of view and the confidence to challenge conventional thinking.
  • Proven experience leading successful client pitches and presentations.
  • Excellent client-facing and communication skills.
  • The ability to interpret and respond intelligently to client feedback.
  • Strong commercial awareness and experience designing within budgets.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to design quality.
  • Experience managing, mentoring and inspiring design teams.
  • The ability to balance creativity with programme, commercial and delivery considerations.
  • A collaborative leadership style, combined with the confidence to make decisions and take ownership.
  • Excellent knowledge of contemporary workplace design, materials, finishes and emerging industry trends.

The Person This opportunity would suit a Head of Design, Design Director, Senior Design Director or highly experienced Senior Designer who is ready to take genuine ownership of a design function and influence the wider direction of a growing business.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS

This is an opportunity to join a highly regarded business at an exciting stage of its growth and to have genuine influence over its future design direction.
You will have the autonomy to shape design standards, develop talent, influence major client opportunities and help define what exceptional workplace design looks like across the organisation.
This search is being conducted on a strictly confidential basis.
Further information regarding the company, team structure, remuneration and specific project portfolio will be shared with suitably qualified candidates during the recruitment process.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

About this Recruiter

Zara Eley
Consultant

A bit about me

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SALARY UP TO

100,000

SALARY UP TO

80,000

SALARY UP TO

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Construction professionals,
looking for a career enhancing opportunity

Find your next construction job, today.

Are you looking for new construction job? If you are a skilled construction professional, we will have an opportunity for you. We are an experienced construction recruitment agency and have an impressive track record of sourcing the best opportunities for the professionals we work for.

Providing you with an in-depth insight of industry knowledge, we can help you make the most informed decisions about your next move, now and for the entirety of your career.

Helping to enhance careers and teams

Work with Cityscape Recruitment

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About Cityscape Recruitment

Cityscape Recruitment is not like any other construction recruitment agency. Our business does not have a sales-driven environment, instead, we reward quality over quantity.

We use our specialist industry knowledge to help introduce and guide construction professionals into companies that best suit their desired career aspirations and personal goals. From Quantity Surveyors to Site Managers to Civil Engineers, we work to the same objective of helping to enhance their careers.

And our relationships don’t end on day one of a new role – we pride ourselves on our ability to build long-lasting relationships with both clients and construction professionals. And we are fortunate enough to work with many leading construction companies and professionals in London and throughout the rest of the UK.

SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Clients we work for

Our clients range from small, privately owned specialist contractors right up to top-tier PLCs responsible for shaping our country’s landscape.

What our clients say

We have worked with Alex Wallace and the Cityscape Recruitment team for a number of years now and find their service excellent.

They supply well matched and vetted candidates and very quickly understood all our requirements. They have always demonstrated good market knowledge and an ability to deliver to our requirements.

Commercial Director,
Main Contractor

I have used Cityscape Recruitment multiple times over the last 5 years. Very pleasant to deal with and all candidates put forward for interview are well suited to the position and well vetted by the team, so there is no time wasted with unsuitable applicants. I would highly recommend Cityscape. I intend to use them again in the future should any vacancies become available.

Operations Director,
Platt and Reilly Ltd

The Cityscape Recruitment team has always been great to deal with. Always ready to listen to our needs and requirements, a quality some recruiters do not appreciate or have, then advising where they can assist in our staff procurement. We look forward to working with Laura and Cityscape in the coming years.

Director,
Soilfix

Construction Recruitment FAQs

Here are answers to some questions that you may have.

At Cityscape Recruitment we have teams of consultants who find opportunities for construction professionals in the following sectors:

  • Main Contractor – Build
  • Fit Out and Refurbishment
  • Residential Development
  • Specialist Contract
  • Civil Engineering
  • Consultancy

Read more about our company here.

Our Residential Development team recruits for the very broad range of roles available in the Construction and Civil Engineering industries. From Quantity Surveyor to Technical Coordinator to Project Manager.

They can also recruit for the complete range of seniorities within these specialist areas. From Graduate roles, up to Heads of Departments and Managing Directors

To view all our live roles, click here

Our clients range from small, privately owned specialist contractors right up to top-tier PLCs responsible for shaping our country’s landscape. 

Some of our key clients are Statom Group, 8Build, AJ Morrisroe and Sons, VolkerFitzpatrick, Troy Group and Bellway Homes. 

Whatever your career aspirations may be, we will have the opportunities and the industry knowledge to share with you.

Our office is in Rickmansworth, West Hertfordshire. We are, therefore, best placed to provide recruitment services for London, the Home Counties, and the Southern Region of the country. However, we can and do recruit for the whole of the UK and have made many successful placements for construction professionals in the Midlands and the North and West regions of the country. 

To view all of our live roles, click here

When you first contact us, be that through direct contact, responding to an advert or applying through our website, we will connect you with a consultant who works in your specialist area. 

Initially, they will arrange a meeting to talk through your CV and career history. They will encourage you to go into detail about your background and experiences, capabilities and responsibilities, personal circumstances and any other factors they feel are relevant to help them build up a well-rounded profile of you. 

We take extraordinary care in matching professionals to an opportunity – one that will help enhance their careers and a clients’ team. We therefore also use this meeting to empower you in your career. Using our extensive knowledge of the construction industry, we would provide in-depth overviews of businesses, projects and available roles, and guidance on where your strengths will add the most value and career potential. 

After this meeting, the consultant will speak to a number of their clients about you and your CV. Who they speak to can be either jointly agreed upon or you can trust the judgement and expertise of the consultant to contact clients they feel are the best fit for your experience and goals.

If any clients are interested in meeting with you, the consultant will manage the interview process, coaching you before any interviews if required. (Further guidance can be found here.)

If you are successful in receiving an offer(s), our consultant will communicate this with you and help to negotiate the offer(s) and any other terms of employment. 

Finally, we will support you in resigning from your current role, navigating potential counter offers and starting your new role.