Company: Heim Asset Management UK

Location: London / UK platform

Reporting to: Head of Design

ABOUT THE ROLE

The role will translate Hemma and Group design principles into UK project requirements, consultant briefs, design standards and delivery-stage decisions. It will work closely with Development, Investment, Operations, Marketing, and Mobilisation to ensure design quality, operational practicality and brand alignment are integrated from due diligence through handover. Initially, the Design Lead will be closely involved in live projects to understand the UK platform, delivery model, consultant base and contractual route. Over time, the role will take increasing ownership of design coordination, consultant relationships and design governance across the UK platform.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

UK design function, standards and governance

• Act as the principal client-side design contact for the UK platform, with a strong functional link into Group Design leadership.

• Work closely with the UK Development Director and Development Managers on project delivery, maintaining responsibility for design quality, brand alignment and resident experience.

• Coordinate and develop UK-specific design standards, briefing material, review processes and delivery-stage guidance aligned with Hemma and Group principles and in close alignment with Development.

• Help shape the longer-term UK design operating model, including consultant framework and design processes.

Design alignment across functions

• Work across Development, Investment, Operations, Marketing and Mobilisation to balance design quality, customer experience, operational performance, cost, programme, sustainability and long-term asset value.

• Ensure Hemma brand standards and operational requirements are embedded early in consultant information, Employer’s Requirements, technical packages and procurement decisions.

• Act as a constructive counterweight where cost, programme or procurement decisions could undermine design quality, brand consistency or resident experience.

Consultant strategy, briefing and management

• Develop and manage a trusted network of architects, interior designers, FF&E, lighting, wayfinding, landscape and specialist design consultants for the UK platform.

• Lead or support consultant selection, briefing, appointment, onboarding and performance management across project stages.

• Provide clear design direction and challenge consultant information where it is incomplete, inconsistent, over-specified, underdeveloped or not deliverable.

Pre-contract design due diligence

• Support due diligence on acquisitions, forward-funding opportunities and new development projects from a design, brand, operational and delivery perspective.

• Review layouts, apartment mix, amenity planning, resident journeys, operational areas, material strategies and specification against Hemma standards and UK BTR requirements.

• Identify design risks, coordination gaps, inefficient layouts, unresolved interfaces, buildability issues and operational weaknesses before they become embedded in contracts.

Project design integration and delivery-stage protection

• Act as Heim’s design lead on UK new-build BTR projects from RIBA Stage 3 through technical design, procurement, construction, completion and operational handover.

• Ensure architectural, interior design, FF&E, lighting, wayfinding, landscape and specialist consultant requirements are properly integrated into the base build contract and Employer’s Requirements.

• Review key contractor proposals, substitutions, value engineering options, samples, mock-ups and benchmark areas from a design, brand and operational perspective.

Amenity spaces and resident experience

• Lead the design direction for resident-facing spaces, including reception, co-working, gyms, wellness spaces, common areas, resident journeys and other amenity areas.

• Work with Development and Group Design to appoint and manage interior designers from concept stage through spatial coordination, technical integration, procurement and delivery.

• Protect the quality and coherence of the resident experience through spatial planning, material selection, finishes, details, lighting, furniture principles and operational usability.

PROFILE

We are looking for a confident, design-minded professional who can operate between design quality, technical coordination, commercial reality and project delivery.

The right person will understand how residential projects move from concept and RIBA Stage 3 into technical design, procurement, construction and handover. They will know that good design depends not only on strong intent, but on whether that intent is properly briefed, coordinated, documented, procured and delivered. They will be collaborative but not passive: able to build trust, challenge weak proposals, defend design quality and give clear direction while remaining pragmatic about cost, programme, buildability and UK market conditions.

They should be comfortable working between UK project teams and Group Design leadership, with the maturity to become a trusted source of design guidance across the UK platform.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Background in architecture, interior architecture, design management or a related built-environment discipline.

• Experience on medium- or large-scale residential projects, large-scale commercial or mixed-use schemes.

• Strong understanding of RIBA Stage 3 Spatial Coordination, RIBA Stage 4 Technical Design and delivery-stage design management.

• Experience managing external architects, interior designers and multidisciplinary consultant teams.

• Experience translating brand standards, design intent and operational requirements into consultant briefs, Employer’s Requirements, technical packages and contract-ready documentation.

• Experience translating learnings into evolving standards and improving the design baseline to support future success.

• Strong design judgement and good understanding of how design decisions affect resident experience, cost, programme, operations, maintenance, sustainability and long-term asset value.

• Confident communicator, comfortable working between local project teams, external consultants, contractors and Group-level design leadership.

WHAT THE ROLE OFFERS

• A key client-side design role within a growing UK residential platform.

• The opportunity to strengthen client-side design leadership across the UK platform and help establish a dedicated UK design function.

• Direct involvement in shaping UK design standards, consultant briefing processes, review practices and delivery-stage coordination.

• Meaningful influence over design quality, brand consistency, resident experience, operational performance and long-term asset value.

• The opportunity to help translate established European best practice into the UK BTR market, while shaping UK-specific design and brand standards.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your CV, a short covering note or introduction, and a portfolio or selected examples of relevant work demonstrating design judgement, visual literacy and relevant residential, amenity, hospitality or operationally led experience.

Send your application to: joinus@heimam.co.uk

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