Dezeen Jobs

A Practice for Everyday Lifes is seeking a project or studio manager to join its team in London.

A Practice for Everyday Life (APFEL) is a graphic design studio based in London. Our work includes art direction, branding, books, exhibitions, type design, signage, and digital. We have built a reputation as an internationally renowned and sought-after collaborator through our work with art, architecture, design, and culture and we work with a conceptual rigour that ensures each design is meaningful and original. Our Type Foundry publishes a growing library of typefaces developed through visual, textual and experiential research. The Foundry also offers a bespoke type design service. Our online shop offers select products, publications and prints by our studio.

We are looking for a project/studio manager. This is a key management role within our team in which the successful applicant will oversee coordination of the studio, leading on project management and design operations. As a key liaison in our design and business operations, you would be supporting the creative directors and designers and coordinating with clients. Design operations include all aspects of running a small but dynamic creative studio: project management, finance, business development and HR.
This is a full time studio based role (five days a week, 7.5 hours a day, 37.5 hours a week).

Responsibilities 

Design operations:

• support the creative directors to define scope, budget and timelines for projects
• take ownership of business operations and lead it with supervision from the creative directors
• support the creative directors and designers overseeing conversations with clients, prepare agendas as required
• monitor and manage project scopes with the design team and clients
• support the clients by ensuring that design solutions meet commercial requirements
• monitoring and coordination of new business enquiries with directors
• handling studio supplies and equipment
• overseeing IT and software requirements in coordination with our IT supplier
• maintaining our website: adding products, adjusting stock/pricing with assistance from designers, and adding press activities
• overseeing processing and packing orders from online foundry and sales, with assistance from designers

Project management:

• manage projects from briefing to delivery, updating and monitoring design tasks as needed
• develop and monitor Gantt schedules for each project
• conduct regular project status meetings with designers and project reviews
• monitor time-tracking in the studio’s time tracking software and alert design team and clients as projects near time allocation
• managing incoming project files
• maintain confidentiality agreements

Financial:

• prepare and negotiate estimates and contracts with clients and suppliers
• monitor and manage scope changes for projects
• track project expenditure in order to meet agreed budgets
• issue invoices and pay bills following agreed payment terms
• prepare monthly management accounts and cash-flow report for the creative director (using Xero)
• liaising with accountants on reconciliation, VAT return, payroll etc, reporting to creative directors

Knowledge, skills and experience: 

• experience in a similar or comparable role, ideally two to five years experience in studio management, administration, project management, brand strategy, account management or similar
• commercially astute with experience managing a business or people and negotiating contracts
• hands-on operational experience
• enjoy working collaboratively in a fast-paced studio
• incredibly organised with the ability to manage complex schedules and overlapping deadlines
• experience with managing clients
• a shared interest in APFEL’s business and culture
• calm, flexible, driven, self-motivated and punctual
• occasional travel for external events required
• strong presentation, written and verbal and communication skills
• articulate and diplomatic manner
• Mac OS literate and high proficiency in MS Excel

Salary

Salary depending upon experience.

How to apply

Please send the below with the subject line ‘studio/project manager’ using the ‘apply’ link below:

• a PDF of your CV (2MB max)
• a covering letter helping us understand why you should be considered for this position
• a completed equal opportunities monitoring form
• your start date availability

Please download and fill in an equal opportunities monitoring form available here.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Deadline for submission: Monday 28 March
First interviews will commence: w/c Wednesday 30 March

Please note that A Practice for Everyday Life reserves the right to withdraw this listing prior to the official closing date, therefore it is recommended to submit applications early.

www.apracticeforeverydaylife.com

• Applications have closed.