Design Studio Operations & Project Manager

Location: Hyderabad | Full-time

About Nolwa

Nolwa is a contemporary design studio working at the intersection of material exploration, craft, and refined functional objects. We are entering a structured growth phase and building stronger systems around product development and execution.

This role forms the operational backbone of the studio.

Role Objective

Within 6 months, you will ensure:

• All projects have visible timelines and milestones
• Vendor follow-ups do not depend on the founder
• Product development follows structured stages
• Technical material research is documented and comparable
• Weekly status summaries are generated proactively
• Execution stress reduces through clarity and systems

This is an execution leadership role not a design role.

Key Responsibilities

1. Project & Timeline Management

• Build and maintain structured trackers
• 
  Break concepts into milestones and track dependencies
• Flag risks and delays early
• Align parallel workflows

2. Vendor & Production Coordination

• Coordinate artisans, fabricators, and finish suppliers
• Track prototypes, revisions, and approvals
• Maintain documentation of iterations

3. New Product Development Coordination

• Structure development phases: research ? prototyping ? refinement ? costing ? readiness
• Coordinate product engineer, crafts liaison, and vendors
• Maintain decision logs and timelines

4. Technical Research Coordination

(In collaboration with Product Engineer)

• Define research briefs (materials, coatings, finishes)
• Coordinate samples and testing cycles

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• Create comparative summaries (cost, durability, application, lead time)
• Maintain organised material archives

5. Studio Systems

• Run weekly project reviews
• Circulate clear action summaries
• Improve workflow discipline over time

Ideal Profile

• 37 years in operations, project management, or production coordination
• Experience in design studios, architecture, manufacturing, or product environments
• Strong structuring and documentation ability
• Calm, assertive, and execution-focused

Reporting

Reports directly to the Founder.

Works closely with Product Engineer, Crafts Liaison, and vendors.

Compensation

Market to slightly above market, depending on experience and ownership capability.