Head of Design Operations

Our client is an established architecture and design firm specialising in large-scale workplace projects across France and wider Europe. As the business enters its next phase of growth, they are seeking a Head of Design Operations to take operational ownership of the design function which includes leading a team of designers and technical staff, managing budgets and workload, and ensuring every concept and technical output meets the standard their international clients expect.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on operational leadership to design professionals and external freelance resources, across concept development and technical design phases.
• Manage workload allocation, resourcing and scheduling so the team delivers reliably and to deadline.
• Own budget oversight and cost control across the design function.
• Review, challenge and quality-check technical plans and design outputs before they go to clients, ensuring they meet required technical, accessibility and regulatory standards.
• Act as a key client-facing point of contact on design quality and delivery for international clients on large-scale workplace projects.
• Strategically deploy freelance and external resources for technical or lower-value tasks to support the team's ability to scale.
• Coach, mentor and develop a team of creative and technical professionals, building a stable, high-performing team culture.
• Partner closely with the pre-construction and delivery teams to ensure a seamless handover of projects from concept through to completion.
• Report to senior leadership on team performance, project status and resourcing needs.

Requirements

• Significant experience in an operational leadership role within architecture, interior design, workplace fit-out or construction, gained in a design, delivery or technical management capacity.
• Proven track record managing and developing teams of design or technical professionals, including workload planning and resourcing.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing project budgets and cost control.
• Strong technical literacy, with the ability to read, review and challenge technical and design plans, even without personally producing creative concepts.
• Client-facing experience, with the ability to build trust with international clients.
• Professional working proficiency in French.
• Eligibility to work in France, or to obtain the relevant right to work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background as an architect, interior designer, or in a related technical/design discipline. Candidates from construction or similar technical backgrounds are also encouraged to apply; a design qualification is not essential.
• Working knowledge of Revit.
• Fluency in English is valuable given the team's exposure to international projects across Europe.