Head of Design (Higher Education Department) in City of London

The Crowd is partnering with a thriving and growing, design-led practice in London that is seeking a Head of Design to work closely with the company’s directors and lead their higher education team. This is a pivotal senior leadership role, focused on the growth and development of the higher education division. The position would suit an experienced professional with a strong background in the higher education sector, who is comfortable taking full ownership of projects from early client engagement through to successful delivery.

The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the business, leading multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring consistent delivery across programme, quality, and commercial objectives. You’ll be a highly engaged and collaborative leader, with a clear drive for growth, taking responsibility for both the commercial and operational performance of the team while supporting and aligning with the wider creative and design vision. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated, personable, and proactive individual to join a forward-thinking organisation that offers a collaborative culture, a strong social atmosphere, and a competitive benefits package.

Please note: applicants must have prior experience in the higher education sector.

• Take full ownership of the end-to-end delivery of higher education projects, from early engagement through to completion.
• Be accountable for overall commercial performance, including budgets, cost control, and financial outcomes.
• Set and oversee project programmes, ensuring robust planning, monitoring, and financial discipline at every stage.
• Engage with clients early to fully understand their objectives, translating requirements into clear occupancy and operational briefs.
• Develop tailored project strategies that align with client budgets, timelines, and functional requirements.
• Lead and coordinate internal teams and external consultant partners to drive efficient, collaborative delivery.
• Act as the senior point of contact for clients, maintaining strong relationships and delivering a high level of service.
• Ensure consistent achievement of agreed timeframes, budgets, and quality expectations across all projects.
• Establish project priorities and key success factors, converting these into effective design and delivery solutions.
• Promote progressive approaches to learning environments, supporting the shift towards more flexible, contemporary education spaces.
• Drive delivery with a strong emphasis on certainty, pace, and accountability, particularly around critical academic calendars and term-time constraints.

• Extensive senior-level experience within the higher education sector, ideally in a leadership or executive capacity.
• Demonstrable success in delivering complex, large-scale projects from early concept through to final handover.
• Strong commercial capability, with a proven ability to manage budgets, profitability, and overall financial performance.
• In-depth knowledge of programme planning, with a clear understanding of the challenges and priorities of term-time delivery.
• Confident and credible in client-facing environments, with the ability to build and maintain long-term strategic partnerships.
• A strong people leader, with a track record of building, motivating, and leading high-performing teams and consultant networks.
• A clear understanding of contemporary learning environments and the evolving needs of the education sector.
• Commercially minded and entrepreneurial, with the drive and capability to grow and develop a new business unit.
• Highly effective communicator, able to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of an organisation.
• Naturally collaborative, with strong relationship-building skills across both internal teams and external partners.
• A strategic and commercially focused leader, capable of setting direction, defining growth plans, and leading the business to achieve its objectives.

To apply for this position please click on the apply button to attach your CV (and portfolio for design positions).

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