Design Manager - Beauty

Job Introduction

We are looking for a Design Manager with our Beauty team to facilitate, and assist in delivering, world class environments in all Selfridges' stores through innovative strategic planning and highly professional design management, creating leading edge solutions in retail and non-retail areas alike

Role Responsibility

Scope:

To support the Exec, Owners and the Property Team in all Strategic Planning and Design related matters to deliver best in class solutions for all stores by

• informing and developing the Strategic Masterplans and associated Guidelines
• ensuring the effective Design Management of all projects through the entire design, development and delivery process
• managing project requests from B&M taking them through feasibility studies where appropriate
• overseeing the development and maintenance of digital drawing data for all Selfridges' sites
• effectively managing the internal and external design teams

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Work with the Lead Design Manager to aid in developing strategic retail Masterplan layout for all stores
  • Monitor competitors
  • Understand and clearly present in 2D & 3D format the stores proportions, levels and access potential to aid Exec decision making
  • Produce planning and delivery sequences
  • Assist with high level budget cost to support capital planning
• Manage collation and production of strategic design guidelines, compartment design guidelines, project specific design guidelines and creation of temporary guidelines for churn projects ensuring alignment throughout
• Co-ordinate/produce strategic project plans - walkways, sightlines, fixture zones, signage, lightboxes, liaison and interfaces with other projects eg M&E project

Design Management

• Coordinate production of retail briefs for all projects and ensure alignment with proposed plans
• Support brand briefings as required, chaired by Project Manager
• Manage the approval of brand shopfit projects through concept and detailed design stages:
  • Manage business feedback and approval
  • Presentation of proposals to the Board for approval
  • Ensure projects adhere to Selfridges' Masterplan and Store Guidelines
• Ensure timely and sufficient design information is passed to Project Manager's for the delivery phase
• Work closely with the project management team to ensure design integrity is maintained at each stage of the design and delivery process
• Participate in post-project reviews and design analysis
• Manage the evolution and communication of key Selfridges' design specifications - e.g. cash desk and fitting room templates
• Manage creative consultants to ensure design solutions are developed in line with agreed cost parameters and project programmes
• Ensure designs meet or exceed defined quality standards and compliance with requirements of legislation and/or external authorities
• Ensure internal design approvals and financial sanctions are obtained at appropriate stages
• Encourage design innovation and creativity.

Project Requests and Feasibility

• Provide the first point of contact for B&M on all new project requests
• Carry out feasibility studies with support from the delivery team (when appropriate)
• Manage the planning and feasibility process for upcoming strategic projects in conjunction with the 'Directors of Buying', taking them to business approval, producing planning layouts, budget cost and draft timeline (with support from the delivery team)
• Support shortlisting of architects for strategic projects (with creative team) and provide supporting information for the briefing

Digital Drawing Data

• Manage and develop CAD and presentation standards
• Oversee and track the standards and progress in the development and maintenance of digital drawing data (Selfridges' working drawings - updated by the cad team and external consultants) for all Selfridges' sites
• Manage the archive of all drawings ('as builts' - updated by the property team) to provide retrievable database for Selfridges' property portfolio
• Manage receiving, archiving and issue of CAD information in line with property procedures

Leadership

• Work with the Lead Design Manager and Lead Planning Design Manager to manage, develop and coordinate the internal design team and their day to day workload
• Define roles and responsibilities and ensure clear understanding of and delivery against these standards
• Monitor the performance and progress of the design team
• Create and lead effectively a virtual team of internal and/or external consultants
• Manage change and potential conflict
• Establish a communication plan for the design stage of projects
• Liaise with and inform the internal Property Department, Retail Operations Department, B & M Department, Visual Merchandise Department, as well as external brand design teams
• Encourage and promote an understanding of the Selfridges brand values amongst external consultants

The Ideal Candidate

• Strategic vision and planning
• 'Expert' understanding of the market place
• Innovative and highly commercial approach - able to develop and implement new ideas in cost effective ways
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship skills
• Coaching style of management and the ability to motivate others
• Strong negotiator and influencer
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure on many diverse projects
• In depth knowledge of CAD and other design related packages
• Tenacity and Focus
• Self Motivated but Team Oriented
• Strategic Thinker but Detail Awareness
• Strong Minded but Diplomatic
• Positive and Optimistic but Realistic
• Disciplined but Flexible

Your Career At SelfridgesWe are a shop run on imagination: a place where the world's most covetable brands combine with the most extraordinary spectacles, events and ideas for an experience like no other.

We have challenged the rules of retail from day one, whilst demonstrating our unwavering commitment to sustainability. In 2016, we were the first to be awarded with recognition for the 'World's Best Sustainability Campaign by a Department Store' at the IGDS Global Department Store Summit, in-line with its focus on buying better and inspiring change. We are also recognised as the Best Department Store in the World (2010, 2012, 2014 & 2018) underlining our place at the forefront of retail. In 2018 we were recog