CAREERS
Could your next chapter be with Cullinan Studio?
We are an equal opportunities employer, promoting mutual respect and life-long development. We welcome speculative applications - please send a CV and A4 samples of your work to: studio@cullinanstudio.com
Current Opportunities
Practice Manager
Job title: Practice Manager
Location: Foundry (Cullinan Studio’s London Office), 5 Baldwin Terrace, London, N1 7RU
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 9 - 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, one hour lunch break, 37.5 hours a week. Part-time or flexible working may be considered.
Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 dependent upon experience
Initial probation period: 6 months
Partnership probation period: Opportunity to become a partner of Cullinan Studio after successful two-year period
Notice period: 1 month; 3 months after initial probation period
Reporting to: Leadership Team
About Cullinan Studio:
For almost 60 years, Cullinan Studio has been designing carefully composed, innovative architecture. With an international reputation for award-winning, sustainable design, we are constantly evolving our practice to help the clients and communities we serve meet today’s urgent needs. Through meaningful engagement, we create healthy buildings and places where people thrive. We are currently around 20 people, with studios in London and Nottingham, united around our mission to make room for nature in the built environment. We are an employee-owned business, operating with a co-operative structure.
The Role:
The Practice Manager is responsible for galvanising the overall efficiency and productivity of the company. They will work with the partners of Cullinan Studio to develop and implement strategies to improve processes, grow revenue and achieve business goals. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in business operations and leadership. They will be highly skilled in financial analysis, forecasting cash flow and resources, project management and process improvement. Additionally, they will have the ability to develop and motivate teams, build relationships and communicate effectively. An outline of the areas of responsibility is listed below.
Role Opportunities
The role as described here is the initial core expectation. The Practice Manager will be expected to review the detail of the business in operation. As a small, agile studio, there is an opportunity
to shape and evolve the role to the strengths of the candidate, for the overall benefit of the business.
Person Specification:
Work skills and experience
A degree in business administration or related field, or another advanced degree is desirable but not essential. Professionals with proven business leadership experience within an architectural, design or built environment organisation would be extremely relevant to the role. Applicants should have 10+ years of experience in business operations and at least 5 years in a management role. They should demonstrate their ability to think strategically and contribute to decision making.
Applicants must be proficient in entering and interpreting data to analyse the financial health of the business. It is essential that applicants have excellent IT skills, are proficient in MS Office software suite and can operate financial and management software. Cullinan Studio currently uses software including Xero, Harvest and Telleroo.
We are looking for an individual to be part of our senior management team who can engage with all members of the practice. They should be able to advise the practice leadership and the partners on business strategy including risks and opportunities. This is a leadership role, so we want an individual who is inspired by our mission and is ready to build meaningful relationships with the Cullinan Studio team, our clients and those we collaborate with. Good communication skills are essential, including being able to challenge partners on financial matters when necessary.
Senior leadership role
Have regard to business resilience; maintain, implement and update the business plan.
Have an overview of all business support functions related to finance, premises, IT, technical review.
Take responsibility for statutory business compliance and best practice.
People Skills
Reliability and discretion
Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship building skills
Responsible, adaptable, pro-active and motivated
Meticulous, with attention to details
Good time management skills
Cheerful and enthusiastic
Good team player
Approachable and trustworthy
Confidential and non-judgmental
Areas of Responsibility:
Resources
Responsibility for office wide resource planning, management, costing and monitoring.
Assist bid and project teams in calculations of required resources to work with fee.
Support teams in keeping programmes and resources up to date.
Advise on team size and recruitment requirements.
Ensure project teams meet stage budgets.
Fees and project billing
Advise and assist with bids and project teams on fees, cost and charge out rates, drawdowns, billing etc, invoicing and subconsultant bills.
Assist in getting unpaid/late bills paid.
Assist with resolving disputes with clients or subconsultants on bills and be point of escalation, if necessary.
Strategic finance role
Work with the external accountants and have a clear overview of the financial health of the practice.
Target and monitor project and practice profitability and pro-actively suggest interventions and adjustments to keep on track.
Have oversight of finance arrangements and suggest changes if necessary.
Have a strategic overview of all practice budgets and spend against projections.
Finance
Point of contact with the external accountants and payroll.
Oversee monthly payroll and PAYE. Communicate with individuals about queries relating to pay, changes in hours.
Point of contact for bank and HMRC.
Oversee financial tasks and monitor cash position.
Upkeep of cashflow chart, in consultation with project teams and presentation of scenarios to partners.
Review the management and annual accounts with accountants.
Report on financial position at leadership meetings.
Prepare data for R&D claim, review assumptions and innovations with project teams.
Liaise with external accountants on claim report and review/sign report for submission.
Insurance, Contract, Legals and Risk
Assist Leadership team with annual renewal of PII insurance and other forms of insurance.
Be point of contact for broker and respond to queries on claims/potential claims.
Assist in liaising with insurers, legal advisors, project teams and bid teams with regards to bespoke appointments.
Monitor and communicate current and changing industry business risks and opportunities to the practice.
Benefits:
Annual leave: 28 days per year, (rising to 33 on becoming a partner) including Bank Holiday, plus Christmas office closure
Auto-enrolment pension 5% employee contribution and 3% employer contribution
Sick pay
Quiet, canal-side warehouse location
Commitment to equitable and transparent salary
Commitment to flexible working
Enhanced parental leave
Income protection scheme for partners
Profit share arrangement for partners
Paid professional memberships
Individual annual training and development budget
Commitment to wellbeing in the workplace
Monthly lunch for all the practice
Regular events for external guests and host internal events with our tenants
Weekly CPDs
Annual office trip / away day
Cycle to work scheme
Application Instructions:
To apply please send your CV with a supporting statement outlining how you meet the person specification and your reasons for wanting to work at Cullinan Studio to studio@cullinanstudio.com with the subject title ‘Practice Manager FIRSTNAME LASTNAME’
Please also fill in the following monitoring form and include with your application: Link to download Monitoring Form
Closing date:
11.59pm, 11th May 2025
We will be reviewing applications on a weekly basis, so we encourage early applications.