Furniture Designer / Project Manager

An established upholstery company, working from traditional & modern craft through to commercial fit-out, require a Furniture Designer / Project Manager to join their growing Design team. The company have exciting and growing opportunities in restaurant and cafe layout design, office and commercial fit-out, alongside extending their existing domestic and commercial product range.

Requirements

• You will have proven experience in furniture design with a minimum of 2 years.
• Degree or similar high-level qualification in Furniture Design, Industrial Design, Product Design or similar.
• You’ll have experience in SolidWorks (preferred) and/or SketchUp CAD software, in a design-development-production context with proven results.
• Practical understanding and experience of furniture design/frame making/upholstery methods.
• Great communication skills to work with the company team, contractors, clients, and supply chain to ensure high standards of project delivery.
• Strong time management / organizational skills, essential in the management of multiple distinct projects at once.
• The company supplies furniture across the UK, where attendance at client site visits, surveys and installations may be required.
• Good practical understanding of how things fit together ‘in the real world’. You will be designing things digitally (in CAD software) that need to perform with respect to the material properties (fabric, leather, foam, timber, etc.) when in use by the client.
• A ‘design eye’ and appreciation for textiles, material, colour, and finish.
• An awareness of how cost, design, and timescale factors inter-play when designing/proposing solutions to meet the customer’s needs.
• Fluent in the Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, etc.)
• Competent maths ability, able to calculate costs as required for quoting etc.

Duties

• The design and development of new upholstered furniture.
• Interpret technical drawings and sketches provided by our clients, translating these into accurate digital models and drawings for production use.
• Creation of production/design documents for client approval, and for use by both internal and external manufacturing teams.
• Provide design support and advice to the broader company team, as required, when raising quotes.
• Advise clients on design details, fabrics, frame construction etc., as required.
• Attending/performing site surveys/visits, to measure up for bespoke seating in both domestic and commercial settings.
• Close co-operation with the company workshop, to guarantee the delivery of high-quality work that meets the customer’s needs.
• Liaise with external manufacturing teams, maintaining a good working relationship and ensuring this work is supplied on time and as required.

The ideal candidate will have experience and a practical understanding of furniture production and upholstery methods, and the confidence to manage bespoke projects from the initial design phase through to installation. Clear and effective communication skills are the keys to success in this role, as you will be working closely alongside the company workshop, external suppliers and both commercial and domestic clients to maintain high standards of quality and customer service.