Ideation Workplace Advisor

Haworth International; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global office solutions provider seeks an Ideation Workplace Advisor in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The role involves leading workplace strategy initiatives, driving business development, and overseeing project installations. The ideal candidate has at least 5 years of experience in the office furniture industry, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in tools like AutoCAD and Excel. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence workplace design and improve client relationships.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Proven project management experience in the contract office furniture industry.
• Strong ability to develop and critique space plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and coordination of project installations and reporting.
• Identify and develop client opportunities.
• Measure workplace effectiveness through data analysis.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Client relationship management

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or technical diploma in design, architecture, or data analysis

Tools

AutoCAD

Adobe InDesign

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Job Purpose

The International Ideation team exists to elevate the Haworth brand by expanding market influence, strengthening sales and dealer relationships, and delivering high-impact workplace insights. Through advanced research, innovative tools, targeted training, and strategic application, the team helps clients align their business objectives with effective workplace strategies.

Haworth Ideation Services bridge the gap between workspace design and human behavior, health, performance, and user experience. They play a pivotal role in guiding global clients through the interpretation and analysis of research data to shape actionable workplace strategies and design solutions.

The Ideation Workplace Advisor leads the planning, scheduling, coordination, and supervision of Haworth Analytics project installations, measurements, and reporting. Additionally, they serve as a strategic advisor to clients, offering expert guidance on workplace strategy and optimization.

A glimpse of your daily mission

Business Development

• Identify client opportunities and collaborate with regional and global teams to design and deliver impactful Ideation initiatives.

• Identify key client decision-makers and coordinate with the sales team to schedule meetings and present Ideation services.

• Drive Haworth’s Ideation strategy to support dealers, knowledge partners, designers, and consultants.

• Partner with sales and marketing teams in client engagements to position Haworth’s research, services, and digital tools as differentiators.

• Contribute to RFI and RFP responses by providing compelling content and strategic insights.

• Lead new business pitches and responses to Requests for Information, including:
  - Developing tailored service methodologies
  - Estimating fees and resource requirements.
  - Writing relevant case studies
  - Preparing interactive, audience-focused pitch presentations

• Serve as the primary client liaison for Ideation service projects, ensuring consistent communication and delivery.

• Develops and nurture relationships with designers, architects, workplace consultants, knowledge partners, suppliers, and academic institutions to support market and subregional sales strategies.

Workplace Analysis & Reporting

• Measure and evaluate workplace effectiveness through site observations, utilization studies, and benchmarking.

• Lead data collection and analysis to ensure robust, actionable insights.

• Conduct strategic reviews and provide analysis on:
  - Time utilization
  - Space benchmarking
  - Meeting room occupancy
  - User group profiling
  - Identify utilization patterns and variances

• Direct the creation of clear, concise, and visually engaging reports and presentations covering:
  - Space planning and sharing densities
  - Furniture and space types, locations, and deficiencies
  - Floorplate efficiency and configuration
  - Amenities and shared spaces and service provisions

• Develop and present implementation recommendations, including:
  - Change management assessments
  - Revised space planning, sharing densities, furniture and space types, location, floor-plate configuration etc
  - Strategic briefs for internal or external design teams

• Provide strategic oversight (client facing or internal) during design phases, ensuring alignment with workplace strategy,

• Continuously challenge, develop and improve methodologies, strategies and presentation of utilization data through research, data science peer review, further education and partner engagement.

• Continue to expand on an in-depth knowledge of workplace specific requirements and workplace trends through professional development and research.

• Identify and share insights that connect Ideation knowledge with applied design to enhance advisory services and tools.

• Create and publish case studies (with client approval) to showcase project outcomes.

• Capture and share learnings from client engagements with stakeholders across Ideation, Product Development, Marketing, A&D, Sales, and Dealer Distribution.

• Leads ongoing training and development for regional teams, reinforcing Ideation Services as a consolidated services proposition.

• Act as a thought leader in workplace strategy through knowledge sharing, facilitation, and industry engagement to help evolve the workplace, people within it and the technologies used.

• Participating and represent Haworth at key industry events, reinforcing its position as a leader in workplace innovation.

• Support research initiatives to develop and evolve Ideation consulting, tools, and databases.

• Contribute to the development, enhancement, marketing and client utilization of Haworth’s Ideation tools and services.

• Leverage planning and specification technologies such as CoWorkr, CoDesigner, and PCon to enhance communication and deliverables for client planning and design projects.

• Maintain a strong presence in local and subregional markets, with flexibility for overnight and occasional travel.

• Demonstrate initiative and thrive both independently and within remote team environments.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or technical diploma in design, architecture, data analysis, or a related field, with a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.

• Proven project management experience within the contract office furniture industry.

• Proficiency in reading and interpreting blueprints, CAD drawings, and layout plans.

• Working knowledge of AutoCAD, Adobe InDesign (Creative Suite), Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Office applications.

• Strong ability to develop, evaluate and critique space plans.

• Familiarity with occupier planning requirements and base building specifications.

• Understanding of workplace strategies such as Activity-Based Working, Agile Working, and similar methodologies.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to think critically and strategically.

• High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

• Strong client relationship and stakeholder management capabilities.

• Excellent personal presentation and a proactive approach to business development, including participation in industry events and networking opportunities.

• Exhibits outstanding verbal and written communication skills, driven by a proactive, self-motivated, and positive attitude.

• Advanced presentation and visualization skills.

• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with clients and manage customer-facing interactions.

• Proven success in cross-functional collaboration across diverse teams.

• Willingness and ability to travel, including overnight stays.

About Us

Haworth is one of the world's largest manufacturers of office furniture, providing solutions for tomorrow's customers worldwide. At the center of our work is the human being: What does a person need to work, what pushes them, motivate them and what makes people feel comfortable at work? Only if we can answer that question, we are able to introduce designs to our customers that will make them achieve their goals. To stay one step ahead, we invest in our own research, have a worldwide network of interesting partners and are part of think tanks around the world who are trying to think ahead. The family-owned company, headquartered in Holland, Michigan/United States, employs more than 8,000 people and is represented in more than 150 countries in Asia, Europe and America with subsidiaries and partners.