Operations Manager
Interior Architecture & Design Studio
London, UK
A leading interior architecture and design studio based in West London is seeking to appoint an Operations Manager for their studio.
Job Summary:
A leading interior architecture and design studio based in West London is seeking to appoint an Operations Manager for their studio. This is a newly created role within the business, bringing together two studio teams of approximately 12 people and providing operational and commercial leadership across the practice.
This position would suit someone from a design background — such as an architect, interior designer, or interior architect — who is looking to transition their career into an operational leadership role, supporting creative teams to achieve project goals. The role spans interior design, interior architecture, and FF&E.
The purpose of this role is to establish structured working practices that support consistent, high-quality delivery across the studio. You will track and manage projects closely, working alongside creative teams to plan workloads and deadlines, ensuring projects remain commercially viable while teams maintain sustainable working hours.
The studio already operates project management software, and this role will be responsible for embedding its use across all projects to ensure visibility, accountability, and consistency.
The business is in a period of growth, making this role critical to the long-term success and scalability of the studio.
The ideal profile will be highly organised, commercially aware, and an effective communicator who enjoys supporting creative environments. The client is seeking a dynamic individual who can both lead and manage, someone who thrives on detail, enjoys building systems and processes, and takes pride in creating structure that enables creative excellence.
This role is currently five days per week in the office.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Plan and allocate weekly team workloads in partnership with Department Heads to ensure balanced and effective resourcing.
Motivate, coach, and develop the design team, cultivating a collaborative and high-performing studio environment.
Set clear creative direction and uphold design quality in line with company standards and brand principles.
Oversee and approve all design concepts and deliverables before submission to the Global Director and CEO.
Encourage strong design thinking and challenge ideas to maintain consistently high creative standards.
Ensure design proposals balance creativity, functionality, budget, and programme requirements.
Review, strengthen, and embed studio-wide design and project delivery processes.
Identify workflow inefficiencies and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
Promote best practice standards and ensure consistent application across the studio.
Monitor project timelines and proactively identify risks, delays, or changes.
Work closely with project teams to mitigate risk and maintain delivery against agreed programmes.
Lead client meetings and presentations as a senior representative of the business.
Clearly communicate design intent, strategy, and rationale to clients and stakeholders.
Build and maintain strong client relationships to support repeat business and long-term growth.
