Your responsibilities
In this role, you provide senior design leadership across the markets, ensuring that the architectural and design vision for all development, transformation and acquisition projects is delivered with consistency, quality, cost, time, and strategic alignment. You guide and support Design Leaders, internal- and external partners, securing a coherent design approach across meeting places and translating concepts into high quality, implementable solutions that meet both market needs and global standards.
Your main responsibilities will include:
- Lead the overarching design direction across markets, ensuring that development, transformation and acquisition projects align with Ingka Centres frameworks, and global design principles while addressing local requirements and opportunities.
- Coach, support and challenge Design Leaders and architectural partners, providing strategic guidance, feedback, and design governance to secure excellence across all design stages.
- Ensure robust, end-to-end design process management across markets, safeguarding consistency from early concept development through detailed design and execution in close collaboration with other domains and group functions.
- Act as a strategic connector between global design functions and local market teams, ensuring clear communication, alignment of priorities, and smooth implementation of design standards.
- Monitor design quality and implementation across the region, identifying opportunities for improvement, harmonisation, and best practice sharing to strengthen design outcomes and project delivery.
Who you are
You are a senior design professional with strong leadership capabilities and solid experience working in complex, multi-market environments. You combine strategic thinking with deep design understanding and enjoy enabling others to deliver high-quality outcomes.
You have:
- A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience and a thorough understanding of Architecture, Interior Design and landscaping design - with a strong design sense and design ability.
- At least 3 years of managerial or senior leadership experience, with proven ability to coach and guide Design Leaders and partners.
- A university degree in Architecture, Design, Real Estate, or equivalent relevant experience.
- A solid understanding of Design Management, Urban Planning & Development end-to-end design processes, governance, permits, sustainability and quality assurance.
- The ability to set up, organize and manage teams, collaborate efficiently and effectively with internal and external parties across cultures, functions, and geographies while balancing global standards with local needs.
- Good verbal and written communication skills as well as proficiency in design and architectural-related software.
- Knowledge and experience from real estate and engineering or related fields is a plus.
Apply now!
We will make sure to allocate a lot of time for questions about the role during the interview part of the process. If you have questions about the position already before applying, please contact the recruiting manager, Brent Katzin - brent.katzin@ingka.com
For questions about the recruitment process, please contact the recruiter, Shivani Gupta, shivani.gupta@ingka.ikea.com
As you might know, in Sweden/Netherlands it’s common to take a few weeks of holiday during July; most people take over multiple weeks in a row; at IKEA, we are no different. We believe in a healthy work-life balance and encourage our co-workers to take time to relax, recharge, and unwind. Because of this great benefit, the recruitment process might take a bit longer.
Please note that due to GDPR reasons, we do not accept applications by email, and we want you to send us your application (CV and motivation letter) in English. We look forward to receiving your application and will review candidates continuously, so please submit your application as soon as possible but no later than the 11 August 2026.