Design Lead, Soren Liv Trade Showroom

This role is being recruited by Outsourced Personnel - Whanganui's boutique recruitment agency specialising in skilled administration placements.
If you are looking to advance your design career in the interiors industry, this is a fantastic opportunity to join the close-knit and energetic team based at Soren Liv's Trade showroom in the heart of Kingsland.
Key clients include interior designers, homebuilders (show homes), apartment projects, hotel projects, and boutique retailers.
Soren Liv enjoys a discerning and varied client base, so a professional, polished, and positive attitude, alongside first-class communication skills, is essential.
Ideally, you will have a genuine passion for design and an understanding of interiors, together with an engaging customer presence that is second to none.
Key Responsibilities:

Interior Design and Client Consultation:
Act as the in-house Interior Designer, creating furniture packages for show homes, commercial spaces, multi-residential complexes, and more.
Conduct in-depth client consultations to determine needs, style preferences, and project budgets.
Drive sales by actively consulting with clients to align their design vision with Soren Liv products and services, including liaison with other design professionals involved in the project.
Build strong client relationships, offering personalised advice and guidance to help clients feel confident in their purchasing decisions.
Close deals effectively, ensuring clients experience a seamless journey from initial consultation to project completion.

Concept Development and Material Selection:
Develop detailed floor plans, guiding clients through layouts that meet their functional and aesthetic goals.
Select furniture and decor to meet client specifications, timelines, and budgets, ensuring durability and appeal.
Create unique design concepts, mood boards, and presentations that reflect colour schemes, furnishings, lighting, and decor.
Consult and negotiate with supply for optimal product selection and availability, keeping current with design trends.

Sales-Driven Project Management and Coordination:
Liaise with the sales team to engage clients throughout their project, handling both design consultations and effectively closing sales deals as projects progress.
Liaise with order processing, working closely with logistics and procurement teams to ensure smooth deliveries and installations.
Take the lead in planning and layout, managing the arrangement of furniture and decor to exceed client expectations.
Where required, stage furniture packages on-site, selecting and arranging furniture and decor to create cohesive, attractive spaces.
Capture results through photography for marketing purposes, aiding client communication.

Showroom Visual Merchandising and Sales:
Design and implement showroom layouts that maximise product appeal, exposure, and customer flow.
Develop seasonal or thematic displays for product launches, creating a dynamic in-store experience that encourages sales.
Gather and analyse customer feedback to continuously update and refresh showroom displays in line with client demand.
Liaise with sales team and logistics to maintain displays as products get sold off the floor.
Maintain showroom image.

Product Portfolio and Inventory Management:
Assist in selection of, and continually evaluate a diverse stock portfolio aligned with NZ market trends from Soren Liv's supply network.
Liaise with procurement to forecast style demand and manage stock levels, coordinating with the sales and marketing teams to match promotions and product availability with demand.

Branding and Marketing Support:
Collaborate with Marketing to ensure alignment with Soren Liv's aesthetics and market position.
Support in the development of brand touchpoints and visual displays.

Additional Duties:
Conduct market research to stay current with industry trends, ensuring showroom and product offerings align with client expectations.
Provide product training and sales strategies for the sales team, enhancing their knowledge and sales confidence.
Coordinate showroom event preparation for product launches, collaborating with marketing for maximum visibility.

This role is ideal for a Design Lead who is as comfortable in a creative environment as in a sales-focused role, combining client consulting with closing deals to deliver both design excellence and sales growth.
The extras:

Enjoy a fantastic inclusive and supportive company culture that places family as one of its core values.
Positive and happy tight-knit team.
Based in a fabulous showroom in Kingsland, Auckland (plenty of on-site parking).
Industry-leading and growing firm constantly innovating and challenging the status quo in furniture importing (and manufacturing).
About the Soren Liv Showroom:

Soren Liv is a division of the Sorenmobler Group Ltd.
A highly successful manufacturer and importer of contemporary furniture, they are industry leaders supplying interior designers, hotels, apartment buildings, and show homes.
The business is in growth mode, and this signifies an exciting opportunity to join the high-performing showroom team as they consolidate their rapid market growth.
The team thrive on offering the ultimate customer experience, tailored to their needs, and pride themselves on presenting eye-catching displays in a great atmosphere.
For professional and specialist assistance and detailed product knowledge and style advice, this is the place for industry professionals to visit.
Soren Liv - every room is a stage.
Located at 373 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland, Soren Liv's spacious Auckland trade showroom exhibits an extensive range of both indoor and outdoor furniture and furnishings.
As a company, Soren Liv pride themselves on providing a supportive working environment, together with the opportunity to work with positive and driven people who have an attitude that breeds success!
With the head office, warehousing, and manufacturing plant based in Whanganui, the Soren Liv trade showroom is a key connection to the Auckland region.
About Kingsland:

Kingsland is a hip residential neighbourhood with coffee roasters, brewpubs, and wine bars, many of which host live music nights.
New North Road has popular spots for lunch including Bluebells Cakery opposite the showroom, as well as trendy vintage clothes stores.
Nearby Eden Park stadium hosts cricket and rugby matches, and the district borders Arch Hill Scenic Reserve, a vast green space with walking and mountain biking trails.
All candidates who meet the criteria will be emailed the Candidate Job Brief and Appendix One - Position Description.
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