Assistant Retail Designer

Department: Property
Location: Vancouver, BC
Workplace Type: Hybrid
Job Type: Full-time, permanent
Who are the JD Group?
JD is a sports fashion, multichannel retailer of branded sports and casual wear, combining globally
recognized brands such as Nike, adidas, Puma and The North Face, with strong own brand labels such as Pink Soda and Supply & Demand to provide an elevated consumer experience. JD is an industry leading retail business which combines the best of physical and digital retail to give a compelling consumer proposition which enables its customers to shop seamlessly across all channels. JD now has over 770 stores in 19 territories, 4 continents across the globe. As a Group, our portfolio stretches to 3300+ stores operating across Sports, Fashion, Outdoor and Leisure fascias.
The Store Development Team...
The Store Development Team is responsible for driving innovation and design excellence across all of the JD Group fascia’s on a global scale. The department delivers inspiring, commercial retail
environments for our customers to maximize their shopping experience, whilst maximizing profitability for the group. This includes the strategic direction of large, complex store build programs consisting of new, up-size and refurbishment projects with a specific focus on cost, time, and quality parameters.
The role...
The position of Assistant Retail Designer is a key role in the global expansion of JD within North America. Working as part of the property team based in Vancouver, with reporting responsibilities into the Global design team at GHQ in Manchester UK. This position necessitates a high principle of design standards with the creative ability to develop each store design on a project-by project basis using the agreed store grading guidelines.

Responsibilities:

• Design projects as assigned, taking projects from brief through to completion
• Attendance of strategy meetings to obtain design briefs and general direction of projects
• Assist with the on-going development of the JD Store design specific to the Canadian marketplace
• Liaising with key project stakeholders at varying stages of projects, working closely with internal departments (UK design team, Acquisitions team, Project managers, Quantity surveyors, Retail, Merchandising, Marketing, Multichannel, IT, Security, Health and Safety etc.)
• Co-ordination of meetings to present completed store designs and obtain approval / feedback from teams based in the global head office
• Attend site meetings; talking through the design with the project delivery team, check surveys and record site information, ensuring all data is up to date in all documentation
• Set up drawings in AutoCAD using landlords or survey information ensuring all work is accurate
• Production of detailed plans, shop fronts, sections and elevations for proposed store designs and site-specific details
• Partner with external professional agencies such as architects, MEP and structural engineers, permitting departments in order to obtain statutory approvals
• Partner with the UK global graphics team to deliver project specific designs (store fronts, internal branding and signage)

Position Requirements:

• This role commands a varying degree of travel, on average 1 day a month attending site meetings
• Previous experience within a similar role is essential with a minimum 2-3 year’s industry experience
• Experience in a creative role with a leading retail design agency or in-house design team
• Strong retail and commercial awareness, specifically within the sports fashion industry
• Proven experience at all stages of the design process, from conception through to implementation
• Design creatively to set budgets, demonstrating an understanding of construction costs
• Detailed understanding of construction or shop fitting coupled with a strong understanding of permit regulations throughout Canada
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Self-motivated and driven, with the ability to manage own workload to deadlines
• Must hold a valid passport
• Travel to UK head office may be required as part of training for the role

Skills:

• High level proficiency AutoCAD with working knowledge of how to build dynamic blocks
• Proficient in the use of Adobe Creative Cloud suite
• Experience of Revit is desirable
• Visual rendering and 3D modelling preferred but not essential
• Ability to use all Microsoft Office programs

Qualifications:

• Degree in Architecture, Architectural Technology, Interior Design or other relevant qualification

If you are interested in joining the team then please attach a covering letter, a copy of your resume and portfolio in PDF format.