Lead Retail Design Manager in Islington

We're looking for a talented individual to join our Retail Design Team as the Lead Retail Design Manager. This is your chance to take on a pivotal role in a vibrant and fast-paced environment, where you'll be at the front of concept and design. If you're ready to make a significant impact and be part of an innovative team, this opportunity is for you!

Key objectives

• The Lead Retail Design Manager (LRDM) will be responsible for leading the roll-out of the Retail Design Guidelines for all Westfield assets in their region, being the main point of contact for certain assets and guiding the European RDM team on other assets for creative shopfront design validation.
• The LRDM can easily express their ideas in 3-Dimensions and, in certain cases, will prepare creative, seductive dossiers (good high-quality 3D visuals of a potential store design) to attract brands and establish design aspirations.
• The LRDM will assist in managing the European RDM team in terms of prioritising work, managing URW stakeholders, and providing direction.
• It is expected that the SRDM will use their network and management skills to proactively find solutions to workflow issues through the use of external freelancers and will encourage the development of in-house design skills.

Job description

• Manage design reviews, collaborating with retailers' design teams to ensure clear understanding of requirements and compliance with Westfield's design guidelines.
• Validate concept and detail design drawings to ensure compliance with Westfield's design criteria and site-specific requirements, while confirming all validations are completed in a timely manner.
• Assist the leasing team to attract, engage and inspire prospective new brands by developing and delivering imaginative, highly creative, visually impactful presentations that showcase the full potential of each opportunity in line with the Westfield Brand Guidelines and the aspirational Leasing strategies.
• Ensure tenant fit-out designs fully comply with the latest Westfield design guidelines and high-quality standards. Collaborate with tenants to negotiate and implement compliant solutions for elements that fall outside standard guideline parameters.
• Develop and implement strategies to align design guidelines across the group, ensuring consistency.
• Prepare and manage review meetings with the Director of Concept Studio, delivering concise project updates and ensuring all critical and impactful issues are addressed effectively.
• Collaborate effectively with RPM, Leasing, Centre Management, and tenants' design and construction teams to ensure stakeholder requirements are addressed professionally and constructively.
• Provide strategic direction and top-level oversight of the design review and compliance process, maintaining consistency, quality, and excellence across a broad portfolio of projects.
• Assert decisive authority throughout the review process, ensuring all Tenant concepts align with Westfield's Retail Design Guidelines and contribute to a premium retail environment.

Required profile

• Highly experienced Architect, Interior Designer, or Retail Design Manager with strong creative capability in retail concept development and end-to-end Retail Design Management.
• Fully skilled in SketchUp (in terms of speed, model efficiency, and escape rendering).
• Ability to utilise in-house AI tools to rapidly create high-quality, creative visualisations and presentation materials that support leasing activity, combining speed and efficiency with strong creative sensibility.
• Ability to self-produce design, sketch and 3D modelling in addition to coordinating production by others.
• Ready to travel and be an active player in the real estate value creation process.
• An open character, comfortable sharing responsibilities and passionate when sharing ideas coherently in public.
• A bold approach to tasks, proactively challenging the status quo with well-thought-out solutions.
• An approach to excellence in all tasks, willing to make the extra effort in doing so.
• A natural team player, gaining energy from being around people, leading from the front and skilled in delegation.

What we offer

We offer a fantastic pension plan, bonus scheme, and plenty of other incentives. We also prioritise your health and wellbeing, training employees as mental health ambassadors to support and educate our team. Plus, you can sign up for medical and dental insurance, gym discounts, health check-ups, and more.