London, UK
Design advisor
at Design South East
Design South East is hiring a new design advisor to join its team in London.
Reports to: head of programmes
Salary: £30k – £45K depending on experience, pro-rata if part-time
Contract: permanent, full-time (part-time or secondment position negotiable)
Start date: February/March 2022
Location: London but hybrid working from home and our London office
Leave: 30 days annual leave (pro-rata if part time) plus statutory holidays
Who we are
Design South East is a not-for-profit design consultancy that works with planning authorities, design professionals, landowners, developers and local communities across London and the South East. Our purpose is to support quality of life through good, sustainable placemaking, which is the foundation of our work. On a practical level, our work spans design review and design workshops, policy development, strategy and visioning, stakeholder engagement, and design training. We help to improve the quality of the built environment through the practical application of best practice guidance and tailored advice on good design in the planning system.
We believe that the best solutions come from collaboration and from inter-disciplinary, cross-sector knowledge-sharing. We work with a network of around 200 experts from a variety of built environment disciplines who form our expert panels. These are the leading practitioners and thinkers in their fields, and we harness their passion and knowledge to address the challenges of good growth to create positive outcomes in a changing environment.
Our work engages with all types of project and scales of development. Our people are highly motivated and committed to delivering social value. And our approach requires inquisitive minds to identify creative solutions to help our clients achieve the best design outcomes.
More information can be found at www.designsoutheast.org.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for an organised, confident and proactive individual from a built environment background to join our talented team of 12. You will be planning and facilitating community engagement workshops and charrettes, managing design review panels and leading training events. You will be an efficient project manager, initiating projects and taking responsibility for their delivery, bringing people together and delivering great work. You will be a good communicator, able to build strong relationships with clients and to manage diverse stakeholders and their competing interests. You will be synthesising complex design panel discussions into written reports. Your writing must therefore be excellent, and you must be skilled at translating complex built environment discussions into clear and concise written reports for diverse audiences.
Duties and responsibilities
Depending on your experience, you will be:
- managing a number of planning authority clients and identifying opportunities to develop solutions to support the delivery of design quality
- managing long-term contracts and major projects, ensuring that key client relationships are developed and that we maximise our value to our clients
- designing and delivering workshops and events that bring stakeholders together
- coordinating and managing design review panel meetings
- synthesising complex design panel discussions into clear, concise written reports
- writing and editing a range of reports for a variety of audiences
- supporting the delivery of our learning programmes
- supporting senior colleagues to identify and approach new clients
- drafting proposals for new opportunities
- capturing our impact and writing case studies
- measuring KPIs and delivering annual reports to clients
Personal attributes:
- a desire to have a real impact on the future of the places where we live and work
- an entrepreneurial attitude and a willingness to take ownership
- an ability to work independently on a project, or to team up with others
- a desire to solve problems and identify appropriate solutions
- a sensitivity to complex political environments
- an eagerness to form partnerships
Knowledge and experience
Built environment:
- you will have at least two years’ post-qualification experience as a built environment professional, working in planning, design or policy
- you will have a qualification in a discipline such as urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, conservation or planning
- you will have an understanding of the tools, techniques and principles of urban design and knowledge of best practice
- you will have at least a basic knowledge of key issues relating to planning legislation/policy and the operation of local government
Stakeholder engagement:
- you will have experience of designing, planning and delivering creative stakeholder engagement workshops and events for diverse groups
Communication:
- you will have excellent writing skills, with the ability to synthesise complex built environment discussions and information into easy to read written reports, with excellent spelling and grammar, editing and proofreading skills
- you will be confident in public speaking, leading events and delivering presentations.
Project management:
- you will have experience of managing projects, including budgets
- you will have proven strong organisational skills, an attention to detail and an ability to think strategically, from detail to big picture
Teamwork:
- you will have experience of working autonomously but also as part of a team, with a willingness to contribute to team discussions
- you will have experience of working on projects that bring together different disciplines and stakeholders
Client management:
- you will have experience of client relationship management and of building partnerships
We will offer opportunities to continuously develop your skills and knowledge and provide for career development within Design South East. The role offers the possibility for career progression, to take on greater responsibility, including contract and client management, and to take a lead on the development of services for the clients you manage.
How to apply
To apply please send the following via the ‘apply for job’ button below:
- an up-to-date CV (max 2 pages of A4)
- a covering letter explaining why you are motivated to work for Design South East
The application deadline is 12.00 noon Monday 24 January 2022
Interviews will be held w/c Monday 31 January 2022
A written communication exercise and presentation will form part of the interview.
If, having read this pack, you require an informal conversation about the role with our head of programmes, Helen Goodwin, please email [email protected].
Equal opportunities
DSE is committed to equal opportunities, and we value the diversity of perspectives that people from different backgrounds bring to our work. We positively encourage applications from eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identification, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
Feedback
Due to the number of applications, we cannot guarantee to give feedback on unsuccessful applications.