At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive growth by building relationships with architects and designers in London's commercial market.
- Company: Join Karndean, a vibrant community passionate about innovative flooring solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, employee discounts, health plans, and generous holiday leave.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values creativity and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on exciting projects while promoting sustainable design.
- Qualifications: Experience in specification-driven sales and strong relationship management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
As a Strategic Specification Manager, you will play a key role in driving Karndean's growth within the Central London Architect & Design and project specification community - a fast-paced, design-led and commercially influential market. You will be responsible for developing and strengthening strategic relationships with architects, interior designers, fit-out specialists, developers and contractors, positioning Karndean as the flooring partner of choice for high-profile commercial projects.
Working across long-cycle specifications, you will navigate complex stakeholder networks and support projects from early RIBA stages through to final installation. With a strong focus on sectors including workspace, multi-residential, hospitality, retail and education, this role is critical to delivering sustainable, design-led growth in one of the UK's most competitive and opportunity-rich regions.
How You Will Contribute
- Build and nurture strong, influential relationships with architects, interior designers, fit-out firms, developers, and main contractors across Central London, ensuring Karndean is their go-to partner at the earliest stages of project specification.
- Take ownership of the full project lifecycle, from RIBA Stage 1 through to delivery, securing and protecting specifications while managing procurement, value engineering, and installation stages.
- Drive specification growth and conversion by linking early design decisions with contractor and sub-contractor engagement, ensuring project vision is successfully translated into site-level execution.
- Proactively map the market and pipeline using Glenigan, CRM, and local intelligence, identifying upcoming opportunities, key stakeholders, and target practices to engage strategically.
- Collaborate effectively with national accounts, customer experience, marketing, and technical teams to ensure a seamless, high-quality experience for clients throughout every stage of a project.
- Champion Karndean's design, sustainability, and wellbeing credentials, articulating how our solutions meet evolving client needs, including acoustic, accessibility, neuro-inclusive, and ESG-conscious considerations.
- Represent Karndean within the London design and construction ecosystem, attending networking events, industry forums, and sector exhibitions to raise visibility and influence.
- Achieve and exceed annual territory sales, specification, and margin targets, contributing directly to Karndean's commercial success and reinforcing our strategic position in one of the UK's most competitive regions.
What Will Make You Successful in This Role
We’re looking for a driven specification expert to grow Karndean's presence across London's design-led commercial market. You’ll work with architects, interior designers, fit-out specialists, developers, and contractors to ensure Karndean is the flooring partner of choice for high-profile projects. You will bring:
- A thorough understanding of London's design-led commercial market, including workspace, hospitality, education, retail, and high-density residential sectors.
- Robust skills in leading specification-driven sales across complex stakeholder networks. Confident in managing relationships across architects, designers, contractors, developers, and project managers - ensuring consistent alignment between design intent, product selection, and project execution.
- Proficiency in CRM systems (Dynamics 365), using them to maintain visibility across a project pipeline.
- Demonstrable understanding of flooring solutions in the context of volume multi-residential construction - including subfloor conditions, performance classifications, installation methods, and acoustic and sustainability requirements.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, effectively liaising with commercial, operations, and marketing teams to ensure seamless execution of framework agreements.
Join Karndean and make a real impact on London's most exciting commercial projects while driving design-led, sustainable growth.
Our Values
- Deliver the Promise: behaving with integrity, keeping commitments, and being accountable to customers, colleagues, and partners.
- People Matter: valuing individuals, recognising achievement, trusting one another, and making sure employees feel empowered.
- Pioneering Spirit: encouraging boldness, innovation, creative thinking- traits that are part of the company's founding.
- Positive Energy: bringing enthusiasm, dynamism and a 'can-do' attitude to work every day.
Why Join Us
We’re more than just a flooring company; we’re a community of passionate, innovative people who love what we do and have fun doing it. We know that engaged employees create great work, so we make sure our teams are well looked after with a wide range of rewards and benefits, including:
- Flexible and hybrid working
- Employee discounts on our stunning floors
- Health cash plan
- 25 days' holiday including your birthday off - and more days as you grow with us
- Enhanced pension, maternity, paternity, and sick pay
- Learning and development opportunities to support your career journey
- A paid volunteering day to give back to your community
- Competitive bonus and commission schemes
- Regular employee awards with up to £1,000 monetary prizes
- Access to an employee benefits platform packed with national discounts
We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. As a proud Armed Forces Covenant Silver Employer and Disability Confident Committed organisation, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Strategic Specification Manager - London employer: Karndean Designflooring
At Karndean, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for the Strategic Specification Manager role in vibrant Central London. Our dynamic work culture fosters innovation and collaboration, while our commitment to employee growth is evident through extensive learning opportunities and a supportive environment. With benefits like flexible working, generous holiday allowances, and a focus on diversity and inclusion, we empower our team to thrive both personally and professionally in one of the UK's most exciting markets.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategic Specification Manager - London
✨Get Your Portfolio Game On Point
As an aspiring architect, your portfolio is your golden ticket. Make sure it's not just a collection of your best work, but tells a story about your design process and creative thought. Showcase a range of projects, from conceptual sketches to final renderings—think of it as a visual CV!
✨Slide into Networking Events
Architecture thrives on community connections, so keep an eye out for local architecture meetups, exhibitions, and lectures. These events are gold for meeting industry professionals, and who knows? You might just bump into someone from Karndean Designflooring who can give you the insider scoop on their hiring process!
✨Learn the Software Inside Out
Make sure you're up to speed with design software like AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp. Being able to discuss your proficiency during interviews can really set you apart. Plus, if you can mention particular projects where you’ve used them, you’ll demonstrate both skill and practical experience.
✨Refine Your Interview Skills
Interviews for architecture roles can get quite technical, so practice answering questions about your design process and decision-making strategies. Prepare for potential design challenges they might put forward in interviews—show them you can think on your feet and come up with innovative solutions!
We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Specification Manager - London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Design Skills:Architecture is all about creativity and technical skills, so make sure your portfolio is front and centre! Include a range of your best projects, showcasing different styles and techniques. Don't forget to explain your design process and the challenges you overcame for each project – it gives hiring managers a glimpse into your thought process!
Tailor Your CV to Architecture:When putting together your CV, highlight relevant experience in architectural design software, like AutoCAD or Revit. Plus, if you have any internships or coursework that involved real-world projects, be sure to mention them. We want to see not just what you've done, but how it relates directly to this role at Karndean Designflooring!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to express your passion for architecture and what drew you to Karndean Designflooring. Talk about specific projects or values of theirs you admire, and how you see yourself contributing to their team. We want to feel your enthusiasm – let it shine through your words!
Use Professional Terminology:Don't shy away from using industry-specific jargon that demonstrates your expertise! Terms like 'sustainability', 'scale', and 'aesthetics' can not only show your knowledge but also help you connect with the hiring team. Just ensure it's done in a way that's relatable and not overly technical, so we can see your passion clearly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Karndean Designflooring
✨Master the Technical Questions
In an architecture interview, be ready to tackle some technical questions about building codes, design principles, and software like AutoCAD or Revit. Brush up on your knowledge of materials and components, as you might even face scenarios to solve during the interview that showcase your problem-solving skills in real-time.
✨Bring Your Portfolio to Life
Your portfolio is your golden ticket! Make sure it not only showcases your best work but also highlights your design thinking process, from sketches to final outputs. During the interview, be prepared to discuss the projects in detail—what challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and what you learnt.
✨Demonstrate Your Passion for Sustainability
In today's architecture landscape, sustainability is key. Be sure to highlight any projects that involved eco-friendly designs or your understanding of sustainable practices. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the trends but are genuinely passionate about creating a better future through your designs.
✨Engage with Your Interviewers
Architecture is a collaborative field, so showing that you're a team player is essential. When conversing with the interviewers, actively listen and respond to their ideas. This isn’t just about you showing off your skills, but also about connecting and demonstrating how well you’d fit into their team at Karndean Designflooring.
