Design Assistant

Weninger Construction \& Design Ltd. is an award winning, family-owned construction company that is known for taking on high end and custom projects. Cobalt Design is the design arm of this company. Both companies work closely together, so because of this, we look for team members with well-rounded skill sets who have experience or interest in both the construction and design industries.

The current Design Assistant position will focus heavily on supporting our Lead Designer with all aspects of the interior design projects, but will also support our Project Manager with the construction projects.

This role will involve interior design support, project management support, and administrative tasks. This will require a high expectation of communication, organization, and attention to detail while performing tasks such as researching, shopping, purchasing, picking up materials, equipping/staging, some designing/drafting, entering data, invoicing, tracking orders, answering calls/emails, following-up with suppliers/retailers/wholesalers, etc. The successful candidate will be flexible, energetic, detail-oriented, organized, supportive of others, eager to learn, and happy to be hands-on, as this is not a typical "desk job" and will involve site visits and errands.

The position is expected to be approximately 30 hours per week on a flexible schedule occurring mostly from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5:30pm. There may be the possibility to do a small amount of work remotely from home occasionally, but the role will primarily require work to occur on-site in the Kelowna-based office, around the community, or at our project locations.

This position will also require the applicant to have a valid driver's license, their own vehicle capable of driving safely to Big White Ski Resort, and a reliable cell phone for communication on the go. Having a good attitude and good communication is more important than pre-existing experience in similar roles.

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Duties of the Design Assistant include but are not limited to:

• Assist Designer and/or Project Manager with design and construction projects in a timely fashion and to a high standard
• Initiate daily check-ins with Designer and/or Project Manager to get tasks and provide updates
• Work on interior design projects at various stages, which will involve a multitude of diverse duties as needed
• Make digital design spec sheets, material schedules, and mood boards when needed
• Set up new projects and managing in progress projects in an online management program called Houzz
• Purchase items according to a shopping list (involves sourcing options, pre-shopping, price checking, purchasing, picking up, ordering, tracking orders, receiving orders, inspecting for quality, storing, delivering, placing, assembling, installing, returning items, etc)
• Help the Designer with custom items (involves obtaining, storing, and returning samples for the Designer; placing custom furniture orders under the direction of the Designer; managing production and shipping/delivery timelines, etc)
• Keep Designer informed of all incoming and outgoing items, including keeping shopping lists, tracking lists, and material schedules up to date daily
• Travel to Big White Ski Resort to do site visits and/or set-up/equipping/staging as needed
• Prepare home for occupants (installing furniture/items, equipping, organizing items in cupboards, managing waste from packaging, cleaning up any delivery/install detritus, etc)
• Manage photographers/photoshoots (cleaning, set-up, staging) and/or any service providers that need to attend site (directing movers, professional cleaners, etc)
• Create and/or edit digital floor plan layouts and 3D renderings (with detailed finishes) on software provided if able
• Administrative Responsibilities (work as a team member for Cobalt Design and as a liaison with Weninger Construction, communicating with the staff and managers of both arms of the company; complete accurate reporting and recordkeeping of purchases, processes, payments, and more; daily data entry and management of online docs/spreadsheets; budgeting tasks such as allocating invoices and entering costs; managing items lists and tracking information, etc)
• Support Project Managers with tasks related to the coordination of construction projects under their direction, and report back with updates

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Skills \& Abilities the position will require:

• Highly organized and self-motivated
• Able to assist both the Designer and the Project Manager
• Strong professionalism and communication skills
• Persistent, detail-oriented, and accurate
• Flexibility, positivity, and work ethic
• Ability to align with company values and communication styles to work as an efficient assistant
• Experience working in the interior design or construction industry an asset
• Design and/or drafting (Chief Architect or AutoCAD program experience an asset, as there is potential to expand the design/drafting responsibilities for the right candidate)

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What Cobalt Design / Weninger Construction offers:

• A short-term, part-time position with flexible hours (28-32 hours per week, May to August)
• Starting wage of $21/hour, plus compensation for use of personal vehicle (per km) and cell phone
• An active work environment, diverse types of projects, and variety in job tasks (if you are looking for a quiet cubicle and repetitive tasks, this not the position for you)
• The opportunity to learn and grow within the custom design and construction industry while working on unique high-end custom projects within a family-owned business
• An organizational culture that really values our team and our projects
• The chance to work as part of a team that supports each other in meeting the constantly changing needs and challenges of our custom projects

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Cobalt Design \& Weninger Construction see the value in having a diverse workforce and creating a welcoming and inclusive work environment, so everyone with the relevant experience is encouraged to apply. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, ability levels, demographics, and minority groups who have the skills, experience, and work ethic to do the job, and we make it a priority to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment.

When applying with your resume, please provide references.

If you are interested in looking at the type of work we do, go to www.cobaltdesign.ca and www.weningerconstruction.com and take a look at our photo galleries.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $21.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30 per week

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Commuter benefits
• Flexible schedule
• On-site parking

Experience:

• Interior Design: 1 year (preferred)
• Administrative: 1 year (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

• Driver's License, reliable vehicle, and cell phone (preferred)

Work Location: In person