Junior Project / Production Manager – Bespoke Retail Marketing

Neko London; Northampton; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Neko London Ltd. in Northampton is seeking a Junior Project / Production Manager to join their production department and support the delivery of premium retail environments.

You’ll work in a hybrid setup (2 days in the office) with a talented team, learning how creative ideas and technical drawings are turned into real fixtures, liaising with suppliers and account managers to keep projects on track. This is a great entry point for a proactive individual eager to learn, who enjoys fast-paced

Responsibilities

• Supporting the delivery of bespoke retail build projects from design stages through to physical builds and installation
• Helping manage procurement, production, shipping and project admin, including billing
• Liaising with suppliers to agree delivery timelines and keeping a clear view of project status
• Collecting and reviewing job requirements and supporting the team with quoting and production planning
• Learning to understand technical and CAD drawings and checking that creative ideas work in the real world
• Being a strong communicator, organised enough to ensure projects run well whilst building strong relationships
• Multitasking and prioritising to ensure projects are on brief, correct and delivered on time

Job description

Junior Project / Production Manager – Bespoke Retail Marketing

Northampton – Hybrid, 2 days / week in the office

We’re working with an award winning, global, retail marketing and production agency, who are on the hunt for their next Junior Project Manager to join their production department in a team focussing on high end and bespoke retail builds for some of the world’s best known brands.

You’ll be working in a talented and supportive team in close collaboration with agency account managers as you support on the delivery of premium retail environments in some of the world’s biggest airports or in new retail stores. Working closely with the rest of the team, and with Account Management and Suppliers, the Junior Project / Production Manager will support the day-to-day running of projects, helping to keep everything on track from the early stages through to installation. You’ll help with procurement, production, shipping and billing, liaise with suppliers on delivery timelines, and be a point of contact between the client, internal teams and production partners. You’ll work under the guidance of a Senior Project Manager as you learn and develop exposure to more and more complex builds, and will be introduced to how creative ideas and technical drawings are turned into real, physical fixtures. Work will vary, but can include store in stores, tasting areas, displays and shopper experiences, using materials such as wood, metal, acrylic, Corian and marble, along with lighting and technology led installations.

When starting in the role, you’ll get plenty of support from more senior people on the team as you assist them with their projects whilst you’re trained on the processes and systems, including the agency’s procurement system. You’ll be introduced to all of the relevant internal teams and suppliers you’ll work with, so that you can quickly start to pick up and really help deliver on smaller projects and gradually build your knowledge and experience. The agency is keen to find someone who is very eager to learn, asks lots of questions and enjoys working in a fast paced, busy environment. This is a great opportunity to take on more responsibility and autonomy as you progress, at a pace that means you won’t be out of your depth.

The agency is looking for someone who is organised, commercially curious and comfortable dealing with lots of stakeholders and suppliers. Ideally you’ll have some commercial work experience perhaps in an agency environment or working in some Junior Project coordination or production supporting capacity. Backgrounds that could work well include product design, spatial, 3D or graphic design, early experience in print, POS, exhibition or retail environments. Otherwise a strong interest in retail design production and a engineering, marketing or business degree could work. Whatever your route in, curiosity about how things are made is key. Some knowledge of materials, production processes, print, point of sale, retail or events / experiential environments would be an advantage, but hunger, conscientiousness and a good character are just as important. You’ll need to be a fast learner, proactive and methodical, able to keep multiple tasks moving and reprioritise when needed. Building relationships easily and being a positive, hard working person will also stand you in good stead.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting the delivery of bespoke retail build projects from design stages through to physical builds and installation
• Helping manage procurement, production, shipping and project admin, including billing
• Liaising with suppliers to agree delivery timelines and keeping a clear view of project status
• Collecting and reviewing job requirements and supporting the team with quoting and production planning
• Learning to understand technical and CAD drawings and checking that creative ideas work in the real world
• Being a strong communicator, organised enough to ensure projects run well whilst building strong relationships
• Multitasking and prioritising to ensure projects are on brief, correct and delivered on time