Senior Retail Project Manager

Our client is an award winning design agency based in Central London who specialise in retail display, providing conceptual window design, production, manufacture, installation and large scale distribution to stores worldwide. They are looking for an experienced retail project manager to join their busy creative studio.

The Role
This role will suit an existing Senior Project Manager with experience of managing multiple projects in a hands-on and 360-degree fashion, ideally bringing with them direct experience from within the creative retail display industry. Managing the full end to end project process, with huge emphasis on client facing, this role will see the occupant either dedicated to one large multi-project client at a time, or working across multiple clients on jobs of varying scale

Reporting directly to the MD, this busy and dynamic role requires an energetic, creative and holistic approach to project management. We are looking for confidence, top class interpersonal skills, a detail orientated approach, and an absolute commitment to producing the highest quality customer experience and project delivery, no matter the scope of the project. Excellent levels of brand understanding, and awareness of client needs will be paramount for success within this role, as will the ability to work with, and manage, all stake holders in order to ensure that project outcomes provide maximum profitability and smooth running.

Although a design or arts background is not essential, a good eye for aesthetic and understanding of the design process is a must. Comfort with practical design-led problem solving would be extremely beneficial. This role will require the ability to work easily with 2D and 3D Designers, in-house production (both locally and globally) and various external suppliers and collaborators. Previous 2 exposure and understanding of briefing and managing artwork, and knowledge of print processes would be a benefit

This person will need practical experience of autonomously managing both mass-production, for various brand window and in-store roll-outs, alongside bespoke installation projects. Experience working with, often complicated client allocations, and the ability to deal with shifting project parameters, will be paramount for the occupant of this role to hit the ground running.

Responsibilities

• Receiving briefs from clients, and working alongside Senior team on initial stages of interpretation and planning to define a project's scope and goals
• Work with Designers to create any required visuals
• Effectively communicate design briefs to internal and external production teams.
• Management of stages of client sign off and approval processes
• Exploring, developing, sampling and costing with various external partners, material and print suppliers
• Lead in day-to-day communications with clients,
• Establishment of client budget allocation, with control and overseeing of spend and client unit cost generation / quotations.
• Planning and scheduling project timelines, with generation and management of all critical paths
• Management of project administration and control documents
• Maintaining and updating systems or documents to ensure all is on track on a day to day
• Monitoring large and small deliveries, and working on in-house production scheduling with Production and Operations management
• Site surveying for internal production requirements, or to introduce external partners to specific sites for planning installations. Collaborative approach with in house production where relevant.

Essential skills and Experience

• Eighteen months minimum experience within a similar role, in a transferable creative retail display/production environment
• Understanding of 3D Visual Merchandising for retail, either via experience in another similar agency, or from working directly for a retail brand
• Strong demonstrable and successful client facing PM experience
• Familiarity with material and fabrication processes for 3D prop making
• Experience with managing external suppliers and collaborators
• Comfort working with roll-out budgets of £250k plus
• Ability and ease with working across multiple projects running simultaneously
• Experience of task managing a team of one or more support staff (could be project by project)
• Demonstrable sense of responsibility and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication skills and high standards of verbal and written English language
• Good level of numeracy required
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Excel Must have a good working knowledge and comfort in using Exce
• Exceptional organisational skills
• Natural and effective communicator
• Creative thinker with strong eye for aesthetics and practical problem solving
• Strong attention to detail

Advantages (but not required)

• Graphic or computer-based design skills
• Adobe creative suite (illustrator/Photoshop/indesign) / Sketch-up / CAD etc
• Practical and hands-on creativity
• Project Management qualification

Please send CV stating your salary expectations.

Creative Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, sexuality, gender identification, or physical ability.