Assemble Recruitment Looking for Design Lead – New Build & Refurbishments at Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Full Time

Foodstuffs has been part of New Zealanders’ lives for nearly 100 years – since 1922!

Foodstuffs is one of NZ’s biggest companies and is 100% New Zealand owned and operated. Over the past 100 years they have built up a network of almost 350 PAK’n’SAVE’s, New World’s, Four Squares and Gilmours stores across the North Island and are still growing!

The success of Foodstuffs is driven by a passionate and diverse team, committed to delivering what’s right for their customers, communities and environment that brings a positive force for New Zealand.

A core division to the success of Foodstuffs is the property team. This high performing unit is driven in a shared belief in innovation, safety, functionality, and purpose-built facilities for their wider team members and those who visit.

As such, Foodstuffs is looking to recruit a highly accomplished Design Manager to oversee, build and manage the design team to deliver on their new builds and refurbishments of stores across the North Island. The business has seen new stores open in Mangawhai, Warkworth, Onehunga and Te Kowhai with a healthy pipeline of new developments and refurbishments.

Reporting to the Head of Property, the person will be instrumental in growing the internal design team alongside the current team in place and developing the design standards across each store brand that looks at the use of retail data to breed a new 2.0 supermarket with innovation and new technology.

The role will see you working in a commercially minded, thriving business, with a humble and agile-minded team, with a great emphasis on autonomy and initiative.

Key responsibilities:

• Oversee the implementation of design, equipment, and services for new build and refurbishment of stores.
• Managing the internal and consultant design teams, evaluating respective individual design deliverables, and maintaining overall team performance to achieve the respective project milestones.
• Ensuring strong designing and planning and communication skills and understanding construction methodologies.
• Managing the design process, including participation in initial concept and site planning, engaging internal and external teams, and ensuring effective engagement with these teams through the design and consenting stages and into the successful delivery of the project.
• Serve as the guardian of store metrics and retail data, ensuring the relevant insights are utilised in the design of stores and renovations for maximum impact.
• Continually reassessing options and driving innovation, while actively managing risks.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships across the internal and external stakeholder groups while at the same time challenging accepted practice, introducing new perspectives on design and contributing to the improved performance of the business.
• Ensuring designs meet health and safety standards and regulations and sustainability guidelines.

Professional Experience and Skills

• A relevant tertiary qualification
• Experience in supermarkets or large format retail design.
• Understanding of equipment, building services, and refrigeration systems in the context of retail design.
• Previous people management experience.
• Be technically savvy, proficient in MS project, AutoCAD, and all MS Office software.
• Highly effective at stakeholder management and building relationships at all levels.
• Proven record of leading internal and external teams to successful project outcomes.
• A focus on continual improvement and accountability.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

This is both a challenging and rewarding position for the successful applicant. It is a role for an astute, influential, and accomplished professional who would like to be part of designing & delivering a significant pipeline of meaningful work for communities, focused on high-quality, innovative, and sustainable projects.

Aside from the highly interesting opportunity itself, the role will provide a market led salary, flexible working, immense growth potential and satisfying social responsibility.

If you feel you meet the requirements of this role and are motivated by the industry sector and reasons behind this crucial hire, please apply now, or contact Matt Donnelly confidentially on 0220197808. All applications (including direct) will be reviewed and processed by Assemble Recruitment only.