Head of Design

Job Purpose:

The role of the Head of Design is to lead the design direction and creativity of the Advanced Design team. The Head of Design will be responsible for all the creative design concepts generated by Advanced Design for Touring Caravans, Motorhomes and Holiday Homes. This is a creative design lead role. The candidate will be expected to lead and manage a team of creatives to fulfil Swifts strategic design plans. These plans include short-term refresh designs as well as longer-term future concepts that help to drive the future design direction of the business.

The candidate will be offered technical and skills support, as well as being encouraged to explore new technologies and techniques. Swift are committed to personal development and training.

Job functions and responsibilities include:

• Management, guidance and creative support for the Advanced Design team
• Layout and ergonomic packaging design for all products
• Aesthetic design for all interiors and exteriors
• Selection of all designed items of furniture hardware and decors
• 3D design of all moulded items both interior and exterior
• Graphics design both interior and exterior
• Soft Furnishing selections and design
• Working closely with external suppliers to support completion of design projects
• Working closely with the Design Manager to confirm planning and project priorities
• Interface with other departments supporting key meetings
• Support the creative design process at Swift Group for all products
• Responsible for assessing and advising design trends
• Responsibility for progressing and maintaining adherence to internal departmental processes and procedures
• To work closely with Swift Product Strategy and Marketing teams to understand and analise customer requirements
• To become authoritative in the team adding value by suggesting improvements to the product and processes
• Participate with the project teams as appropriate.

Job Context / Key Challenges:

This is a senior creative design lead role. The candidate will work closely with the Design Director and will be expected to lead and manage a team of creatives to fulfil Swifts strategic design plans. These plans include short-term refresh designs as well as longer-term future concepts that help to drive the future design direction of the business. This is an important role and requires a significant knowledge of the design process. The candidate must show strong organisational skills and the ability to think ahead to help prepare the design team for workload challenges.

The candidate must have a broad experience of product manufacturing in areas such as the automotive, marine and/or domestic home products. The products Swift make range from automotive and transport related to architecture and interior furnishings/furniture design. A strong ‘can do’ attitude and vision is essential to navigate the technical and commercial constraints of design in this industry sector. Swift supports innovation, but needs a committed individual that can inspire others to think outside the box and deliver change.

This role also includes a significant amount of direct design input and as such the ideal candidate needs to have extensive design experience relevant to the caravan sector. Although this is a design role a strong understanding of engineering is desirable to help drive design concepts to a successful completion. With the current company strategy to embrace hybrid and homeworking, the Head of Design needs to be supporting the homeworking teams both on and offsite. This role can be conducted via a balance of homeworking and office based location. The development of finished prototype vehicles and the need to liaise with factory based staff means working onsite (possibly part-time) is essential.

The successful candidate will have to work in a team of designers and engineers respecting the business requirements of the design proposals and supporting problem solving to achieve the best results. He or she will be expected to work closely with other Swift departments and present design ideas to a wider audience within the company.

Knowledge and Experience:

Essential skills/qualifications required include:

• Interior Design, Product Design or Transport Design qualifications to Degree level
• 3D CAD experience in Alias or 3DS Max (with rendering experience)
• Minimum of 5 years commercial design experience
• Good Adobe Photoshop skills
• Relevant manufacturing experience
• Understanding of moulding technologies such as vacuum forming, injection and compression moulding
• Understanding of furniture based materials and manufacturing processes
• Understanding of graphics design process
• Strong time management skills
• Reliable, focused and detail orientated
• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively in a fast paced environment
• Good people skills

Desirable skills required include:

• Business Studies or equivalent management qualifications
• People management experience
• Studio environment experience