Set Design Manager

Please review the responsibilities and requirements carefully to ensure you have the skills and experience for this role. Unfortunately, if you do not have the relevant experience, your application will not be able to be progressed to interview stage

The Set Design Manager - Creative Installations plays a key role in shaping and delivering bold, imaginative and culturally relevant visual experiences across Selfridges’ physical environments. Working across windows, atriums, seasonal moments and bespoke retail installations, this role is responsible for translating creative concepts into impactful and world-class design experiences that bring the Selfridges brand to life.Working closely with the Senior Lead Windows and wider Creative team, this role combines creative concept development with strong visualisation and rendering capability; taking projects from initial idea and moodboarding through to rendered visualisation, presentation and installation delivery. The role requires a strong creative eye, spatial awareness and visual storytelling ability, alongside a practical understanding of how ideas are realised within complex retail environments.This role will contribute to the ongoing evolution of Selfridges’ creative expression through highly original and visually compelling installations that surprise, inspire and create memorable customer experiences. Whether developing iconic window schemes, immersive atrium moments or creative concepts for seasonal retail environments such as the Christmas Shop, the Design Manager – Creative Installations will help deliver work that is distinctive, innovative and aligned to the wider creative vision of the brand.Operating across multiple projects and creative workstreams, this role requires a highly collaborative and culturally connected individual who is confident working across concept creation, visualisation, stakeholder presentation and cross-functional delivery. They will collaborate closely with Creative Direction, Production, Styling, VM, Graphics and external creative partners to ensure all installations are delivered to an exceptional creative standard, on time and within budget.The role will also support the development of creative ways of working across the wider Creative function — contributing to a culture of innovation, collaboration and creative excellence while helping ensure Selfridges continues to set the benchmark for imaginative retail experiences.

CREATIVE CONCEPT & DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

•Develop bold and innovative creative concepts for windows, installations, atrium activations and seasonal retail experiences.

•Translate wider creative themes and brand narratives into visually impactful spatial and installation design.

•Create sketches, moodboards, layouts and visual presentations to communicate concepts clearly and effectively.

•Create detailed visual renders and spatial visualisations that communicate creative concepts clearly for stakeholder approval, production and installation.

•Produce high-quality rendered visuals and technical design presentations that can be translated directly into production and build.

•Develop accurate spatial visualisations that communicate scale, materials, finishes and installation intent.

•Contribute to the ongoing evolution of Selfridges’ visual identity and creative expression across physical touchpoints.

•Maintain strong awareness of cultural, retail, fashion and creative trends to inform future-facing design ideas.

VISUALISATION & PRESENTATION

•Develop high-quality visual presentations and design narratives for internal reviews, steering meetings and sign-off sessions.

•Clearly communicate creative ideas and installation intent to stakeholders across the business.

•Translate conceptual thinking into practical and visually compelling installation proposals.

•Support the creation of graphics and artwork in collaboration with Graphics and wider creative teams where required.

•Ensure all creative work is presented to a high professional and visual standard.

•Work closely with Production teams to ensure visual renders are feasible, actionable and aligned to installation requirements.

INSTALLATION DELIVERY & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

•Work closely with Production, Styling, VM and wider Creative teams to ensure installations are delivered smoothly and effectively.

•Provide clear creative briefs and detailed design direction to support production and installation planning.

•Collaborate with external partners, artists and brands on creative installation projects where required.

•Support installation planning and timelines, ensuring projects are delivered on brief, on time and within budget.

•Help identify and proactively resolve creative or operational challenges throughout project delivery.

•Maintain strong collaborative relationships across creative and business teams.

CREATIVE LEADERSHIP & CULTURAL AWARENESS

•Contribute to a culture of creative excellence, innovation and collaboration within the team.

Stay connected to contemporary culture, design, art, fashion and experiential trends to inform creative thinking.

•Research competitor activity, emerging retail experiences and installation design trends to ensure Selfridges remains industry-leading.

•Share ideas, inspiration and best practice across the wider team.

•Support and inspire junior team members where appropriate.Skills & Experience

•Experience within spatial design, window design, visual merchandising, installation design, experiential design or related creative disciplines.

•Strong creative and conceptual thinking with the ability to translate ideas into impactful physical experiences.

•Strong visualisation and rendering skills with the ability to create production-ready spatial and installation visuals.

•Experience creating rendered visualisations, sketches, moodboards and presentation materials for creative projects.

•Experience using 3D visualisation and rendering software to communicate spatial concepts and installation design.

•Ability to translate conceptual ideas into technically accurate visuals for production and build teams.

•Understanding of production processes and installation delivery within retail or experiential environments.

•Strong visual storytelling, composition and spatial awareness skills.

•Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly articulate creative ideas.

•Highly collaborative with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

•Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.

•Culturally connected with a strong interest in contemporary design, fashion, art and creative trends.

•Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

•Knowledge of CAD, 3D visualisation or rendering software would be advantageous.

•Proactive, solutions-focused and confident working within a fast-paced creative environment.

•Strong visual storytelling, composition and spatial awareness skills.

•Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly articulate creative ideas.

•Highly collaborative with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.

•Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.

•Culturally connected with a strong interest in contemporary design, fashion, art and creative trends.

•Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

•Knowledge of CAD, 3D visualisation or rendering software would be advantageous.

•Proactive, solutions-focused and confident working within a fast-paced creative environment.