Retail Store Design Lead

About Us

Heads Up For Tails is a one-stop pet product's brand with its paw-prints across India. We design,manufacture, and customize high quality and functional pet products to improve the quality of your pet'slife and make pet parenting delightful.

We were founded with the sole aim of making the lives of all pet companions better and on the strongbelief that pets are family. By offering products and services that make pets more comfortable, healthier,and happier, we hope to strengthen the bond between pet and parent.

With a firm belief in safety, innovation, and empathy, we create and curate a range of relevant petproducts and services. We are constantly adding to our inventory of products and services to provideparents with a holistic pet care experience and hope to become rock solid partners in each family’s petparenting journey.

We have over 1200+ employees spread across the country; with 220+ in our headquarters in Gurgaon. Wehave been awarded the ‘Brand of the Year’ Award three times (2017, 2019 and 2021), most recentlyawarded at Homburg Palace, Vienna. We have been certified as a Great Place to Work 2022 by Great Placeto Work Institute, India.

Position Summary

1. New Store Design & Development  Create initial concept layouts for new store locations based on site recci, brand guidelines, and business needs.  Share first-cut designs with the Creative Head, iterate quickly, and finalise the approved layout.  Prepare full GFC drawings (Civil, MEP, HVAC) and BOQs for smooth handover to the Projects team.  Work closely with contractors and vendors during execution to ensure accuracy, quality, and on-brand finish.

2. Experience-Led Store Design  Design for both pets and parents — creating spaces that feel comfortable, warm, and intuitive for everyone who walks in.  Build sensorial experiences through smart use of materials, lighting, circulation, and touchpoints.  Develop storytelling zones, merchandising flow, and display strategies that elevate brand moments and overall store delight.  Balance beauty with practicality — ensuring durability, pet-friendly materials, and effortless maintenance.

3. Design Optimisation & Retail Performance  Conduct regular design audits of existing stores across India.  Recommend layout enhancements focused on increasing revenue per sq ft, improving customer flow, and elevating visual appeal.  Ensure cost-efficiency without compromising creativity or brand experience.  Stay updated on retail design trends and benchmark HUFT stores against the best in India and globally.

Responsibilities

• 4. Systems, Scale & Replicability  Build scalable, replicable design systems that support faster and more consistent store rollouts.  Standardise fixtures, materials, lighting schemes, and templates to maintain brand consistency.  Work with cross-functional teams to create a kit-of-parts that can adapt to different store sizes, cities, and formats.  Maintain and update store design archives, guidelines, and documentation for long-term scalability.
• 5. Coordination & Documentation  Collaborate closely with Business Development, Creative, Ops, and Projects teams to stay aligned on timelines, budgets, and deliverables.  Ensure all technical drawings meet local codes, compliance standards, and HUFT’s internal quality benchmarks.  Support feasibility checks, site recce reports, and design-related documentation as needed.

Minimum Qualifications, Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture (mandatory).
• 5–8 years of experience in retail design, store rollouts, or branded environments.
• Strong proficiency in AutoCAD, SketchUp, and relevant design tools.
• Solid understanding of MEP, HVAC, Civil coordination, and BOQ preparation.
• Excellent eye for detail, space utilisation, customer flow, and finish quality.
• Ability to manage multiple projects at pace, without losing sensitivity to detail.

What Heads Up For Tails Can Offer You:

Heads Up For Tails is the single largest organized leader in the growing pet care industry in India, a market thats estimated to reach INR 5475 crores by 2025. With an omni-channel network of manufacturing, retail, e-commerce and distribution, Heads Up For Tails can offer you a dynamic and ambitious work environment where you can leverage your experiences and skills to solve exciting, complex problems. We offer you a culture that thrives on ownership and initiative, where people who are excited about taking the path less travelled will thrive and succeed.