Managing Director (Head of Design Operations) (MBJ0189)

Our client is an award-winning London design studio blending interiors, graphics and branding under one roof, creating distinctive hospitality, residential and commercial environments from boutique hotels and restaurants to creative workspaces and exceptional homes.

This senior leadership role is suited to someone who thrives in creative businesses but is not looking to be a designer. You will run the commercial and operational heart of the studio: ensuring projects are profitable, the team is directed, supported and accountable, and the business grows with clarity and confidence while partnering closely with the Founding Creative Directors.

What you'll lead

• Day-to-day operations and workflow across a hybrid interiors-and-branding studio.
• Project mapping, contracts, scope, change control and commercial performance.
• New project mapping, scope of works and fee negotiation.
• Managing P&L in partnership with the Founders.
• Commercial viability, including budgets, timelines and client acquisition.
• Pipeline management, pitch/proposal development and opportunity spotting.
• Client, stakeholder and project manager leadership alongside the Creative Directors.
• Team structure, mentorship and senior-level reporting and accountability.
• Systems, processes and reporting that support a high-performing creative team.
• Thinking beyond project delivery: building pipelines and winning new business.
• Culture-shaping: leading senior creative teams in operations.
• Setting and overseeing design operations processes and tracking, with seniors reporting in.
• Change leadership across staffing, workflows, budgets, margins and project risk.
• Balancing design excellence with commercial reality.

What we're looking for

• A super smart senior operator from a creative or design-led environment (interiors, architecture, creative agency or developer-side design).
• Strong commercial management experience across margin, scope, forecasting and resourcing.
• A brilliant communicator with natural gravitas and warmth, always ahead and on top of the detail.
• Design-aware, with a deep understanding of creative workflows and the rhythm of design studios.
• Hyper-organised, highly productive and great at getting things done without needing to be chased.
• Clear-headed, calm and action-oriented under pressure.
• Someone seeking a commercial leadership role rather than a stepping-stone into creative direction.

Why this role, why now

The Founders lead creative direction, client relationships, new business, PR and industry visibility and are now looking for the right Managing Director / Head of Design Operations to take the operational and commercial weight off their shoulders. The role will strengthen discipline across the studio and support the next phase of my client's growth while protecting and enhancing the creative heart of the business.

Key details

• Full-time preferred, but part-time may be considered for an exceptional senior candidate.
• Hybrid working available
• Competitive senior salary, dependent on experience.

To apply, please send your CV and a short note outlining why you would be a strong fit for my client.