Head of Design

NEWR is an award-winning design and construction company specialising in high-quality residential renovations and extensions across Canberra. We operate a fully integrated design and construct model, delivering considered, buildable outcomes from concept through to completion.

As our portfolio continues to grow, design has become central to our service offering. We are now seeking a Head of Design to lead and evolve our design function, strengthen integration with construction, and formalise a commercially independent, high-performance design service within our business.

This is a leadership role with real influence. It has been created to elevate our capability and take the business to the next level.

The Opportunity You will lead an established and capable interior design team, nurturing their growth while refining structure, documentation standards and commercial clarity.

Your mandate is to professionalise and scale our design service so it is:

Structured and clearly defined

Commercially sound and billable

Highly integrated with construction

Recognised for both design quality and buildability

You will work closely with the Managing Director and Construction Team Leader to ensure alignment across design intent, documentation and delivery.

Key Responsibilities Lead and mentor the internal design team

Allocate projects and manage workload capacity

Elevate design quality, detailing and presentation standards

Technical & Documentation Oversight Oversee preparation of design documentation, including planning and construction drawings

Ensure compliance with NCC, livable housing requirements and relevant building codes

Maintain high documentation standards aligned with construction sequencing and buildability

Pre-Construction & Client Engagement Assist in qualifying design enquiries and participating in discovery consultations

Define and refine design scopes and deliverables

Contribute to structured, fee-based pre-construction pathways

Support proposal preparation and design agreements

Service Development & Growth Formalise NEWR’s design stages, deliverables and workflows

Implement systems to track design progress and performance

Coordinate supplier education sessions and ongoing product knowledge development

Contribute to positioning NEWR as a leader in integrated residential design and construction

About You You are an experienced interior designer or design professional who understands both creative execution and technical documentation.

You bring:

7 plus years’ experience in residential design, architecture or design and construct

Strong documentation capability and working knowledge of Australian building codes

Experience leading or mentoring a team

Commercial awareness and confidence discussing scopes and fees

A detail-focused mindset with the ability to see the broader strategic picture

Drafting experience and proficiency in relevant documentation software will be highly regarded.

Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to build something. You want ownership, influence and the ability to shape a growing design function within an established construction business.

Your application will include the following questions:

Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?

How many years' experience do you have as a Head of Design?

How many years of residential design experience do you have?

Have you worked in a role where you were responsible for authoring and reviewing technical documentation?

What's your expected annual base salary?

How much notice are you required to give your current employer?

Do you have a current Australian driver's licence?

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