At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative store designs that create unique shopping experiences for food lovers.
- Company: Join Waitrose, the largest employee-owned business in the UK, focused on creativity and sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and a culture of growth and collaboration.
- Other info: Flexible working options and a commitment to work-life balance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the future of retail design in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Design degree and experience in retail or brand environments required.
We have an opportunity for a Store Concept Design Senior Manager to lead and inspire the development of creative, innovative, and commercially effective in-store environments across Waitrose bringing to life ‘The Home of The Food Lover’. In this role, you will lead concept designs, from interior layouts and equipment to graphical and signage solutions, across Core, Convenience, Food Service, and Business-to-Business formats. You’ll champion sustainability, operational efficiency, and customer-centric design while guiding both in-house talent and external agencies. You will be an experienced people manager able to manage, coach and develop a small team of designers and assistant designers.
Expected salary: Salary up to £75,000 depending on experience.
Contract type: This position is a Permanent contract.
Working pattern/flexible working: The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. Alongside this we have also signalled a clear intent for Central teams to work ‘more in person than not.’ For the Store Concept Design team this means 3 days a week of in-person time with Tuesday and Wednesday being the core days whilst the other day may be at head office, at suppliers, or in-branch. Core days may also need to flex depending on core projects and may occasionally involve a weekend.
Location: Bracknell.
The application process requires you to upload your recent portfolio/examples of work.
Key responsibilities
- Lead Design Direction: Set clear, innovative design direction for interior spaces, equipment, and signage that differentiates Waitrose from competitors.
- People Leadership: Manage, coach, and develop a team of up to 4 Store Concept Designers and Assistant Designers, fostering a culture of creativity and continuous growth.
- End-to-End Delivery: Guide concepts from ideation to in-store delivery through our Development Track process, managing Stage Gate activity checklists, project timelines, and budgets.
- Omnichannel Integration: Think holistically across all customer touchpoints, ensuring physical estate designs complement an omnichannel shopping experience.
- Stakeholder & Agency Management: Direct internal teams, external design agencies, architects, POS, and property teams to deliver cost-effective, scalable solutions.
- Commercial & Operational Balance: Work collaboratively to balance aesthetic vision with commercial value, operational viability, material efficiency, and safety.
Essential skills/experience you’ll need
- Design related degree or equivalent.
- Design related experience in retail, marketing or brand.
- Experience in operating at senior levels of the business.
- A broad range of experience in store design based roles encompassing 3D and 2D design, with an excellent track record for delivery at a senior level.
- Able to demonstrate strong commercial experience, materials, construction and equipment knowledge and an excellent understanding of customer requirements.
- Experience in design redevelopment and implementation and a proven leader of delivering strategic change in the retail environment.
- Experience in managing an in-house design team and 3rd party design agencies.
Desirable skills/experience you may have
- Strong creative background.
- In-depth knowledge and practical application of interior design.
- Strong understanding of the Waitrose brand.
- Working experience of AutoCAD, In-design, Sketch Up, Photoshop or similar.
Important points to note: It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.
We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.
We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.
Store Concept Design Senior Manager in London employer: Waitrose & Partners
Waitrose & Partners in Harlow is an excellent employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises customer satisfaction and teamwork. Employees benefit from comprehensive training, opportunities for career advancement, and a commitment to work-life balance, making it a rewarding place to grow your career in the retail sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Store Concept Design Senior Manager in 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 Waitrose & Partners who can give you the insider scoop on their hiring process!
✨Learn the Software Inside Out
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✨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 Store Concept Design Senior Manager in 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 Waitrose & Partners!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to express your passion for architecture and what drew you to Waitrose & Partners. 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 Waitrose & Partners
✨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 Waitrose & Partners.
