Director of Interior Design and Strategy

The Crowd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Bonus structure

Flexible hybrid working

Enhanced annual leave

Job summary

The Crowd are seeking a Director of Interior Design and Strategy to join their London studio on a permanent basis. This senior leadership role combines design credentials with a highly commercial, strategic work-winning mindset to grow the interiors practice.

You will lead the team, strengthen client relationships and identify new opportunities, while championing design excellence across workplace and commercial interiors. Flexible hybrid working and a generous benefits package are included.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in interiors/design practices with team leadership.
• Proven track record in winning new business and developing client relationships.
• Strong experience in workplace and commercial interiors, capable of leading large complex projects.
• Commercial mindset with understanding of growth, profitability, fees and resourcing.
• Ability to provide strategic creative direction while balancing delivery realities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to grow the interiors portfolio and commercial success.
• Lead work-winning and business development leveraging industry networks.
• Develop strategies to expand client base and opportunities with new/existing clients.
• Represent the practice in client meetings, pitches and project interviews.
• Champion design excellence across workplace interiors from concept to delivery.
• Provide senior oversight balancing ambition with budgets, programmes and commercials.
• Share knowledge on materials, FF&E, finishes, lighting and design trends.
• Collaborate with project leaders to ensure profitable, high-quality delivery.
• Identify opportunities for additional services and ongoing client engagement.
• Contribute to marketing, proposals, awards, thought leadership and communications.
• Build, mentor and develop the interior design team and culture.
• Support recruitment and growth of the team.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to shape the firm’s strategic direction.

Skills

Senior leadership

Work-winning

Client relationships

Commercial acumen

Interiors leadership

Presentation & negotiation

Strategic direction

Mentoring teams

Tools

FF&E knowledge

Materials & finishes

Job description

The Crowd are partnered with a globally respected design practice with an established international reputation for delivering innovative, high-quality work across the built environment. They are seeking an accomplished Director of Interior Design and Strategy to join their London studio on a permanent basis.

This is a senior practice leadership opportunity for an ambitious interiors professional who combines strong design credentials with a highly commercial, strategic work-winning mindset. The successful candidate will take a leading role in growing and developing the team and shaping its strategic direction, strengthening client relationships and identifying new opportunities, whilst continuing to champion design excellence across their projects.

With a strong focus on workplace and commercial interiors, this is an opportunity for an established leader to have ownership and influence over the continued growth of the team, with support from the senior leadership team. You will play a pivotal role across business development, client engagement, design leadership, project oversight and team development, helping to drive forward projects in our client’s next phase of growth.

Our client offers a strong benefits package, including private medical insurance, a rewarding bonus structure, flexible hybrid working, enhanced annual leave, and much more, alongside a supportive and collaborative team that enjoys a social and people-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership direction, contributing to its continued growth, development and commercial success
• Lead work-winning and business development activity, leveraging an established industry network to identify new opportunities and develop meaningful client relations
• Develop and execute strategies to grow the interiors portfolio, identifying opportunities with both new and existing clients
• Act as a senior representative of the practice in client meetings, pitches and project interviews
• Shape and champion design excellence across workplace and commercial interiors projects, ensuring a consistently high standard from concept through to delivery
• Provide senior oversight on selected projects, balancing design ambition with client requirements, budgets, programme and commercial considerations
• Bring strong knowledge of materials, FF&E, finishes, lighting and emerging design trends to support innovative and commercially relevant design solutions
• Work closely with project leaders and wider teams to ensure projects are delivered successfully, profitably and to a high standard
• Identify opportunities for additional services and continued client engagement throughout the project lifecycle
• Contribute to marketing initiatives, including proposals, award submissions, thought leadership and project communications
• Build, mentor and develop the team, fostering a collaborative, ambitious and design-led culture
• Support recruitment and the continued growth of the team
• Collaborate with senior leadership to challenge, influence and shape the wider strategic direction of the practice
• Champion sustainable and responsible design approaches across the Interiors portfolio

Key Skills / Requirements:

• Significant senior-level experience within an interiors or design practice, with a strong track record of leading teams and projects
• A proven work-winning and business development track record, with an established network of clients and industry contacts
• Strong experience across workplace and commercial interiors, with the ability to lead large-scale, complex projects
• A commercially minded approach, with a strong understanding of practice growth, profitability, fees, resourcing and project delivery
• Demonstrable experience developing client relationships and converting opportunities into new business
• Excellent presentation, communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills
• Strong design credentials, with an ability to provide strategic creative direction while understanding the practical and commercial realities of project delivery
• A confident and credible senior leader, comfortable operating alongside senior stakeholders and constructively challenging where appropriate
• Proven ability to mentor, motivate and develop high-performing design teams
• Strong understanding of project planning, staffing, budgets and programmes
• Knowledge of materials, FF&E, finishes, lighting, construction methodologies and contemporary design trends
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial and forward-thinking approach, with the ambition to grow and shape a team, rather than simply managing it

The Crowd is an equal opportunities employer and agency.