Frome, UK
Senior designer
at Somer Industries
Somer Industries is looking for a senior designer to join its team in Frome, UK.
Job specification
Senior designer – CAD (customer facing)
About the company
Somer creates honest furniture of enduring quality for the circular economy and for a low carbon future. Our mission is to promote the specification of timber as an unmatched sustainable resource through the delivery of our new and innovative model for furniture design and production.
Somer principally designs, manufactures and installs freestanding kitchens and furniture using our industry leading solid timber freestanding cabinet system.
Position overview
Using our expansive library of product configurations, the senior CAD designer will lead in the designing of Somer projects from concept through to completion at our growing furniture design and manufacturing company based in Frome, Somerset.
With a core focus on kitchen design, the role requires spatial and architectural design experience in order to deliver functional and beautiful schemes within the constraints of a project brief. This position requires strong leadership, organisational and problem-solving skills to ensure efficient design development and smooth delivery of projects from design through to manufacture and installation.
Job description
Design:
- produce (in Vectorworks) 2D/3D drawings and axonometric visualisations using a suite of Somer templates
- accurately price projects based on drawings using Somer excel templates
- engage with clients – attend design meetings in the development and finalisation of projects in preparation for manufacture
- carry out site surveys with production team members and liaise with project partners
- produce final technical workshop drawings for production
- liaise with the workshop team during production through to installation and handover to client
Design development:
- product development and innovation – working with management and partners in the research and development of new products and tools, initially in the development and delivery of Somers new online design configuration tool
- automation (CAD/CAM) – scaling production capacities through automation and enhanced CNC manufacturing/tooling
- value engineering – work with production team and management to continually seek new ways to optimise processes from design through to production and delivery/installation
Role requirements:
- outstanding CAD (Vectorworks), IT and numerical skills
- excellent understanding of joinery/timber detailing and manufacturing
- proven experience within design and manufacturing industries, specifically kitchen design
- strong design credentials and understanding/interest in materials and tools
- exceptional verbal and written communication skills and ability to lead in person and online client meetings
- exceptional organisational and time management skills
- commitment to safety, quality, customer satisfaction and financial success
- formal training/qualifications in CAD/CAM (not required – relevant experience will be viewed preferentially to education)
Key responsibilities:
- production leadership: provide design leadership and guidance to the production team, including carpenters and support staff
- project management: maintain and track project stages from client brief, detail design and realisation
- quality assurance: maintaining high drawing and project management standards to ensure design and craftsmanship exceeds client expectations
- compliance and safety: ensuring health and safety in the workplace
Additional information:
- this is a minimum four day a week role
- this is a hybrid-role with three days per week minimum required in our studio and flexibility to work from home on other days, days in the office will be fixed according to an agreed upon schedule to suit the business and your lifestyle
- immediate start, you will be trained by our current technical design lead
- this is an evolving role and with increased demands as we grow which will be kept under constant review
- travel may be required to project sites and client meetings
- competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience
Application process:
Interested candidates who have proven experience in design (CAD/CAM) and are adept in spatial and technical detail design are encouraged to submit their resume, cover letter and references via the apply for job button below.