Head Of Design - Central Design Function
Office Location - Sultanpur
About Us:
Metalia is a customised metal facade company, we design and execute premium metal cladding, screens, and facade systems for residential clients, institutional buildings, and franchise partners across India. We are building out a 4-vertical structure and need a Design Head who will unify and elevate the design function across all verticals. With a strong foundation in design and execution.
Why This Role Matters
As Metalia scales, design is not just a function - it is the core differentiator.
With four independent verticals operating simultaneously, we are looking for a Design Head who will:
- Unify design thinking across the organisation
- Establish non-negotiable quality and documentation standards
- Act as the final authority on design quality and feasibility
- Represent Metalia's design capability in high-stakes client conversations
This is a high-ownership, high-visibility leadership role directly working with the Founder.
Role Overview:
The Design Head will lead the central design function, overseeing all four business verticals and their respective design leads, while ensuring consistency in design quality, technical accuracy, and delivery readiness.
- Design Leadership & Quality Control
- Define and enforce Metalia's design philosophy, benchmarks, and visual identity
- Set the quality bar across all verticals—concept to execution drawings
- Establish standardisation in detailing, finishes, and documentation
2. Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Lead and mentor 4+ design leads across verticals
- Build a strong design culture rooted in ownership, precision, and accountability
- Identify capability gaps and drive hiring, training, and upskilling
3.Client-Facing Design Leadership
- Lead design conversations for flagship and institutional projects
- Present concepts, materials, and technical rationale to senior stakeholders
- Act as the face of Metalia Design in strategic pitches
4.Design-to-Execution Integration
- Own the design-to-operations handoff
- Ensure every project is execution-ready with:
- Complete drawings
- Accurate BOQs
- Material specifications
- Minimise ambiguity and eliminate design-led execution risks
5.Systems, Processes & Reviews
- Establish a weekly design review cadence with all vertical leads
- Conduct monthly design audits and all-hands reviews
- Introduce structured workflows for:
- Design approvals
- Version control
- Documentation standards
6.Innovation & Material R&D
- Build and maintain material and finish libraries
- Drive exploration of new metal systems, fabrication techniques, and parametric design approaches
- Ensure Metalia stays ahead in design differentiation
7.Leadership Collaboration
- Represent design in leadership discussions
- Work closely with Sales, Operations, and Execution teams to align design intent with business goals
Key Performance Indications (KPIs)
- Client NPS: > 4.2 across all projects
- Design Rework: Near-zero design-related rework (tracked monthly)
- Design Readiness: 100% projects design-approved before execution within SLA
- Team Retention: < 5% annual attrition
- Review Discipline: Weekly and monthly design reviews consistently conducted
What We Are Looking For
1.Experience & Background
- 8–12 years in architectural, facade, or product design
- Strong preference for experience in:
- Metal facade / cladding systems
- Architectural detailing & execution-heavy environments
- Proven experience managing multi-level design teams (5+ members)
2.Technical Expertise
- Deep understanding of:
- Materials and finishes
- Fabrication processes and tolerances
- Site execution constraints
- Strong command over:
- AutoCAD / SketchUp / Revit
- 3D visualisation workflows
- Exposure to parametric design tools (Rhino, Grasshopper) is a plus
3.Leadership & Mindset
- Strong ownership mindset - thinks beyond design into execution
- High attention to detail and documentation discipline
- Ability to balance creativity with practicality and scalability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
What Success Looks Like in 6 - 12 Months:
- A clearly defined and adopted Metalia Design Playbook
- Standardised documentation across all verticals
- Significant reduction in design-related execution issues
- Stronger client confidence in Metalia's design capability
- A high-performing, aligned, and stable design team
