Dezeen Jobs

Soane Britain has an opportunity for a design manager to join its team in London.

Company overview

Soane Britain, led by Founder Lulu Lytle, designs and makes exceptionally well-made furniture, upholstery, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers and interior necessities that consistently reward the investment, adding joyful atmosphere to any interior.

Every Soane Britain design is made in Britain in small workshops that excel in traditional crafts, such as iron forging, rattan weaving, chair making, precision engineering and saddlery.

Soane Britain’s client list includes international interior designers, decorators and architects.   Our designs can be found in many important private houses, chalets and yachts around the world as well as hotels, restaurants, members clubs, boardrooms and retail spaces.

For more information, please visit www.soane.com or join our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Purpose of the position

The design manager, working closely with the co-founder and creative director, will be responsible for delivering two new furniture and lighting collections every year, from concept and development to handover.

This is a key connector role between the creative director and the product director, to ensure that all new and current designs within the Soane collection are achieving key strategy objectives. As well as identify designs which are missing from our collection.

Responsibilities will include prototyping new design and materials to assess their suitability and performance, and delivering full training information to the manufacturing and sales team. Presentation and research for photoshoots will also be required.

This role must have a primary focus on our sustainability credentials to ensure we are working hard to achieve our company objectives set out within our sustainability context document.

While Soane’s bespoke British manufacturing is in increasing demand, the company also needs to balance this with a solid production base of reliable workshops, some of which need to be able to deliver volume manufacturing. The creative manager will work with the product director and design engineer and be responsible for driving forward an agenda of product and margin improvement in line with company objectives.

To work with the creative director and the marketing and communications cirector as one of the visual realisers of the Soane aesthetic and to have a creative input into marketing campaigns.

This role will require a skilful combination of appreciation of Soane’s values, products, workshops and commercial acumen, excellent communication skills and enjoyment in delivering results and support to the wider team.

To help maintain a close working relationship with our workshops and to be a company source of knowledge for furniture and lighting manufacturing techniques, new designs and materials. You will be the ‘go to’ person for product advice for the sales and sales support team, prioritising training when new designs are launched.

To ensure documents are maintained and kept up to date.

Duties and responsibilities

New design and product development:

• support the creative director in the furniture and lighting design creative process
• oversee prototypes for the creative director and product director to review
• research new design ideas and new sustainable materials
• oversee and manage the new design critical path to ensure that new designs are closely linked to company objectives and fulfil the decision matrix to ensure they are successfully bought to market. Ensure new designs meet current legislations and are accompanied by photography, CRM entry, installation instructions, full drawing packs, etc.
• maintain and produce furniture and lighting new product launch sales manual, showing inspiration, usage, specification and design strategy
• uphold the F&L new design critical path
• budget holder for new designs and product developments, assisting with R&D credits
• work with the product director to continuously improve margins through cost savings and price changes
• work closely with the designer for fabrics and wallpapers to ensure 360 degree integration
• strike a balance between creativity and feasibility
• nanage Soane standard finishes and the introduction of materials and finishes with a focus on sustainability and achieving company objectives
• Lighting Industry Association. Working with the product director work towards and ensure that our designs are meeting CE regulations on our electrical designs.
• assist the product design engineer with product improvements using a centrally located list of product improvements. Report on the financial and logistical benefits of product improvements in a six-monthly report presented to the EXCO team. Ensure that the QC team understands the workshop and product improvement strategy.
• maintain and manage Soane’s Intellectual Property with our workshops and competitors, through design registration and archiving.
• analyse and report on market research, competitor benchmarking and new trends to create more effective designs and improvements to existing ranges. Regularly meet with the Sales team to understand client needs and incorporate into new designs and developments.
• nanage and maintain the Rattan Archive, working closely with the creative director to research and catalogue rattan resources

Creative branding:

• work with the creative director and the marketing and communications director to integrate product launches and collaborations into overall marketing strategy, including journals, podcasts
• consider outside influences, such as sponsoring exhibitions, book signings, talks to actively support the brand as a whole to ensure Soane is always considered to be a leader in design, manufacture, innovation and integrity and guardians of craft heritage
• to understand and consider how Soane sits within the design community both British and Global and what we stand for
• communicate Soane’s direction alongside brand strategy
• attend photoshoot meetings to give your creative input
• review and offer solutions to improve our existing merchandising if necessary (including labelling), liaising with the sales manager and production manager
• work with marketing department in the development of new sales tools and samples when required

High level supplier relationship:

• act as the company representative for strategic conversations with suppliers
• help the manufacturing team in the resolution of problems linked to serious quality problems and product related concerns
• source new workshops to achieve company and/or new design objectives or to replace vulnerable workshops. Set clear objectives (including Supplier Agreement) and provide regular feedback through meetings and reports. When selecting new suppliers please ensure you are reviewing their sustainable credentials. We may have to decide not to work with them if they don’t align with our own objectives.

Qualifications for the position:

• experience in working in a furniture or lighting business
• a degree in furniture design is an advantage
• knowledge of Solidworks would be a plus but not essential

Company benefits:

• competitive salary
• pension contribution
• health insurance cash plan, including access to GP and mental health helplines
• company car scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• income protection
• generous holiday allowance and a day off on your birthday
• hybrid working may be offered to office staff in agreement with your manager
• unique culture that includes: Christmas and summer parties, monthly social team drinks and events, internal training
• staff discounts on Soane designs and access to warehouse sales

www.soane.co.uk

• Applications have closed.