Job Description: Senior FF&E Designer/Project Lead at Studio Ashby

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Someone who demonstrates, through every aspect of who they are, a passionate love of design, art and beauty.
• Someone who will work alongside the Directors of Studio Ashby at the highest level to lead numerous and varied FF&E projects, with the assistance of more junior members of the team.
• A confident, loyal, trustworthy, dynamic, charming person who can hold their own with clients, suppliers and project teams.
• Someone with a proactive nature, great instincts, open to feedback, with boundless amounts of positive energy.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE MUST HAVE:

• At least 5 years post-graduate experience in the luxury residential sector.
• Full proficiency using Vectorworks, Adobe Creative suite & Microsoft Suite.
• Experience working on all aspects of FF&E projects from concept to completion.
• Understanding of project programs and deadlines.
• Financial understanding of project costs and budget awareness. 
• Good supplier and product knowledge, including FF&E and finishes.
• Broad knowledge of materiality.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Impeccable and concise communication and presentation skills, verbal and written.
• An exceptional eye for detail, colour and knowledge of FF&E suppliers.

THE ROLE WILL INCLUDE:

Creative

• Strong knowledge of both Interior Architecture and FF&E, with the technical understanding to support working across both sides of the business.
• Together with the senior design team, lead and direct the creative and conceptual stages of the project.
• Ability to push the team, inspire new ideas, helping to source new furniture, antiques and art and bring original and fresh thoughts to the studio.
• Design and develop beautiful bespoke furniture including case pieces, upholstery, lighting and joinery.
• Ability to deliver a strong pitch or presentation with confidence in public speaking.

Design + Project Management

• Overseeing Senior and Middleweight designers across various projects.
• Confidence and experience in skilled space planning. 
• Someone unafraid to take responsibility and ensure Studio Ashby deliver a seamless service to our clients with exceptional communication throughout.
• Experience in managing large and complex FF&E budgets, procurement and installations.
• Attending regular internal design team meetings and assisting the designers on the conceptual and technical side of the design process.
• Establishing detailed project timelines with internal milestones and leading kick off meetings at each design phase/wrap-up meetings on handover.
• Able to respond effectively to complex questions whilst working and switching between various projects.
• Able to develop detailed specifications.
• Manage and check information produced by sub-contractors. 
• Firefighting- trouble shooting on any design or management hiccups along the way.
• Thinking ahead- making sure everyone is focused and asking the right questions / getting the answers we need to keep the wheels turning.
• Closing projects- supporting designers on rectifying snags and getting this wrapped us as quickly as possible.

Senior Management support

• Brief the team on new projects, ensuring they have a good understanding of their allocated project (client brief, existing drawings, architectural context etc).
• Ability to set and uphold programmes, stick to deadlines, oversee excellent project management at all times.
• Ensuring workloads and contribution between team members are balanced/regular monitoring of tasks and workloads.
• Providing designers with help and guidance on any design-based queries.
• Financial understanding of project costs and budget awareness. 
• Encouraging and promoting team spirit.
• Training and mentoring staff in line with company & design standards (attention to detail, importance of materials, consistency of drawings etc.) and managing their progression.
• A drive to constantly working towards improving the company and our staff’s work experience.

WHAT WE DO:

Our mission is to create habitable spaces with identity. Whether it’s a home, a restaurant, a hotel or a commercial development, we apply the same creative approach that starts with envisioning the lives of the people who will inhabit it. We question what inspires them, what moves them and how we can fulfil their desires and support their needs with our design. Art plays a central role in our inspiration and process. Stemming from Sophie’s own passion and training in art history, we believe art has a vital place in every interior and no space feels complete without it.

Together with interior design we also provide creative direction. This allows us to create immersive experiences in the environments we design, ensuring the character and style of our clients is felt in substance across all details and touch points. Our creative direction includes many aspects that affect how we experience our environments: from art consultancy and buying to bespoke collaborations, books to uniforms, planting to fragrance. With greater consideration to the many layers that make up our interior world, the deeper the connection we have to it in response.

Relationships are core to all that we do: relationships with our clients, our customers, our suppliers, manufacturers and the many craftspeople and ateliers we work closely with. Our work is a collaborative process involving many different people, and strong relationships are crucial for achieving good results. We believe design should be a positive experience and it’s important to have fun along the way.

If you think that your skills, experience, and personality make you well suited to this role we’d love to hear from you.

Please submit your covering letter, CV and portfolio to careers@studioashby.com with the subject Senior FF&E Designer / Project Lead.