Associate Principal

Scale Careers; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Scale Careers is seeking an Associate Principal to join the London Corporate Interiors leadership team, shaping design direction and mentoring the next generation of interior leaders.

You will balance creative leadership with project oversight, client liaison and business development, helping to win work and raise the studio’s profile on international projects.

Qualifications

• Proven experience at Associate Principal level or senior leadership within a design practice.
• Exceptional conceptual design within Corporate Interiors / Workplace.
• Experience leading multiple complex projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience winning work.
• Excellent presentation and client-facing communication.
• Mentoring and developing people; building collaborative teams.
• Voice in design community through publications or talks is advantageous.
• Curious, progressive mindset driving design innovation.

Responsibilities

• Play a central role in the creative and strategic direction of the Corporate Interiors team, balancing design leadership with project oversight and business development.
• Lead design direction across multiple workplace and corporate interiors projects.
• Drive concept development and challenge conventional workplace thinking through innovative, design-led solutions.
• Work alongside Principals on project strategy, client relationships and business development.
• Act as a key decision-maker across design reviews, ensuring projects maintain exceptional quality from concept through delivery.
• Lead and mentor project teams while championing the development of interior designers across the wider studio.
• Manage and develop mentoring group, support career development, wellbeing and professional growth.
• Build long-term client relationships and contribute to pitches, presentations and win new work.
• Collaborate with fellow design leaders to shape the future direction of the London Corporate Interiors business.

Skills

Senior leadership

Conceptual design

Project leadership

Business development

Client communication

Mentoring

Thought leadership

Job description

A globally recognised architecture and interiors practice is seeking an Associate Principal to join the leadership team within its London Corporate Interiors studio. You will be joining a practice that is redefining the future of workplace design through research, design innovation and progressive thinking. With studios across the world and a reputation for delivering exceptional workplace environments for leading international organisations, the London team is entering an exciting new phase of growth, investing in senior design leadership to help shape both projects and people. This is far more than a project leadership role. You will be joining the studio's strategic leadership group, working alongside Principals and fellow Associate Principals to influence design direction, mentor future leaders, contribute to winning new work and help define how one of London's most respected corporate interiors teams continues to evolve. For the right person, this represents a genuine pathway towards Principal within an internationally recognised practice.

Job Description:

• You will play a central role in both the creative and strategic direction of the Corporate Interiors team, balancing design leadership with project oversight and business development.
• Lead the design direction across multiple workplace and corporate interiors projects simultaneously.
• Drive concept development and challenge conventional workplace thinking through innovative, design-led solutions.
• Working alongside Principals on project strategy, client relationships and business development activities.
• Act as a key decision-maker across design reviews, ensuring projects maintain exceptional quality from concept through delivery.
• Lead and mentor project teams while championing the development of interior designers across the wider studio.
• Manage and develop your own mentoring group, support career development, wellbeing and professional growth.
• Build long-term client relationships and contribute to pitches, presentations and win new work.
• Collaborate with fellow design leaders to shape the future direction of the London Corporate Interiors business.

Key Skills:

• Proven experience operating at Associate Principal level, or an equivalent senior leadership position within a recognised design practice.
• Exceptional conceptual design ability within Corporate Interiors / Workplace.
• Demonstrable experience leading multiple complex projects and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience supporting business development and winning work.
• Excellent presentation and client-facing communication skills.
• Passion for mentoring, developing people and building collaborative teams.
• A recognised voice within the design community through publications, speaking engagements, research or thought leadership would be highly advantageous.
• Curious, progressive mindset with a genuine desire to challenge convention and drive design innovation.

This role would suit a highly respected workplace designer looking to move beyond project leadership into a position with genuine strategic influence. You'll be joining a practice that actively invests in its people, encourages flexible working, values progressive leadership, and offers a clear opportunity to help shape the future direction of an internationally recognised design studio.