The Opportunity
Fleming Howland is looking for a visually creative, highly organised and customer-focused individual to join our small office team at the heart of our luxury furniture manufacturing business.
This is not a conventional interior design position, nor is it purely a customer-service role. It combines customer care, visual presentation, Adobe-based design work, sample coordination and practical support for our professional relationships with private individuals, interior designers, architects and other specification clients.
The position would suit someone who enjoys variety and can move confidently between responding to a customer, preparing a mood board, organising material samples, updating project information and supporting the preparation of a professional client presentation.
About Fleming Howland
Fleming Howland designs and manufactures luxury upholstered furniture for private clients, interior designers, architects and hospitality projects in the UK and internationally.
Our work is rooted in craftsmanship, longevity and the belief that clients should invest in fewer, better-made pieces that will be appreciated for many years. The successful candidate will work close to our craftspeople, products and materials, gaining a practical understanding of how luxury furniture is designed, specified, made and delivered.
Role Purpose
To provide professional and dependable support across customer care, visual design and client relations.
You will handle appropriate general customer enquiries, produce high-quality visual and presentation material, coordinate samples and project information, and support Fleming Howland’s work with private individuals, designers and architectural clients.
The role reports to the Customer Support Manager and works closely with the Client Relations function.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Care and Enquiry Support
- Respond professionally to general customer enquiries by email and telephone.
- Assist customers with product information, materials, samples, specifications, order updates and routine aftercare questions.
- Take ownership of assigned enquiries and follow them through to completion.
- Ensure customer communications reflect the quality and professionalism expected from a luxury brand.
- Identify complex, sensitive, high-value or unusual matters and escalate them promptly to the Customer Support Manager.
- Check information carefully before it is issued to customers, helping to prevent avoidable errors or misunderstandings.
- Support the preparation of quotations, order information, product specifications and client documents where required.
Interior Design and Visual Presentation
- Produce high-quality digital mood boards, client presentations, product proposals and material selections.
- Create annotated product visuals, bespoke furniture illustrations and presentation drawings.
- Use Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator to prepare polished client-facing material.
- Edit and prepare product photography and other visual assets.
- Create clear combinations of furniture, leather, fabric, colour, finishes and accessories.
- Help clients visualise Fleming Howland furniture within residential, commercial and hospitality settings.
- Support digital and interactive mood-board tools used to share ideas and specifications with clients.
- Maintain an organised archive of imagery, drawings, templates and presentation material.
- Ensure all visual work follows Fleming Howland’s brand standards.
Professional Client Relations Support
- Assist with the preparation of presentations, proposals and sample packs.
- Support the Professionals programme with research into relevant design practices, projects and professional contacts.
- Maintain accurate records of contacts, active projects, agreed actions and follow-up dates.
- Prepare background information ahead of calls, meetings and professional-client outreach.
- Coordinate brochures, material samples, technical information and case-study material.
- Help ensure agreed actions and follow-ups are completed promptly.
- Support the preparation of case studies and project presentations.
Samples, Materials and General Support
- Coordinate Discovery Boxes, leather samples, fabric swatches, brochures and other presentation materials.
- Maintain an organised and accurate sample and swatch library.
- Liaise with colleagues to obtain accurate product, production and delivery information.
- Support general office administration and wider business priorities when required.
- Help maintain templates, knowledge base documents, internal guidance and repeatable customer-care processes.
- Work collaboratively with customer care, client relations, production and management.
About You
You may currently work in an interior design studio, furniture or interiors showroom, design practice, luxury retail environment, graphic design role or customer-facing creative business.
You do not necessarily need to be a fully qualified interior designer. Practical ability, visual judgement, customer confidence, reliability and attention to detail are more important than having followed one particular career route.
Essential Requirements
- Relevant experience in customer support, interior design, design administration, luxury retail, furniture, architecture or another client-facing creative environment.
- Confident practical experience using Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Photoshop and InDesign; Illustrator experience is strongly preferred.
- The ability to produce attractive, well-structured mood boards, presentations or other visual material.
- Excellent written and spoken English, with the confidence to communicate professionally by email and telephone.
- Strong attention to detail, organisation and the ability to manage several priorities without losing track of follow-up actions.
- A proactive and cooperative approach, with the willingness to solve routine problems independently while recognising when an issue should be escalated.
Desirable Experience
- An interior design, graphic design or related qualification.
- Previous experience within furniture, interiors, architecture, hospitality design or a design showroom.
- Experience producing furniture illustrations, specifications, presentation drawings or material schemes.
- Knowledge of SketchUp or another two-dimensional or three-dimensional visualisation package.
- Experience using a CRM, customer-enquiry system or project tracker.
- Product photography, image retouching or simple video-editing experience.
- An understanding of fabrics, leather, colour, furniture construction or interior specification.
- French or German language ability.
Working Style
This role will suit someone who:
- Communicates warmly and professionally with customers and colleagues.
- Takes ownership of work rather than simply passing tasks to someone else.
- Checks details carefully and understands the commercial impact of mistakes.
- Is comfortable moving between creative work, customer communication and administration.
- Responds positively to feedback and is interested in developing their knowledge.
- Can work independently while remaining closely connected to a small team.
- Takes pride in presentation, craftsmanship and completing work to a high standard.
- Understands that working in a small business sometimes requires flexibility beyond a narrow job description.
What Fleming Howland Offers
- A varied role within a respected British luxury furniture business.
- Direct exposure to craftsmanship, materials, product development and furniture production.
- Training in Fleming Howland products, processes, customer standards and professional-client support.
- Opportunities to develop skills across customer care, visual presentation and luxury interiors.
- A profit-share programme, subject to the terms of the scheme.
- 20 days’ annual holiday plus bank holidays.
- A distinctive working environment within an active artisanal furniture factory.
- The opportunity to contribute directly within a small, experienced and growing team.
How to Apply
Please submit:
- Your current CV.
- A short covering note explaining why this mixed customer-support and design role interests you.
- A portfolio or examples of relevant work, such as mood boards, client presentations, illustrations, layouts, Adobe artwork or interior schemes.
- Your current notice period and salary expectations.
Candidates do not need to present a formal interior design portfolio where their experience comes from another relevant background, but examples demonstrating visual judgement and Adobe capability will be required.
This is primarily an on-site role in Burnley, Lancashire. Applicants should ensure they can travel reliably to the workplace.
Building for Everyone
Fleming Howland is committed to creating an inclusive workplace in which people are treated fairly and given the opportunity to contribute, develop and succeed. Applications are welcomed from candidates with different professional backgrounds who can demonstrate the skills, standards and approach required for the role.
Pay: £30,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Profit sharing
Work Location: In person
