
Design Engineer
Job Description
The Design Engineer produces the store layouts, technical designs and specifications for new Spinneys branches, refits and extensions. The role turns a commercial brief into a buildable store that trades well, meets brand and regulatory standards, and can be maintained and operated efficiently once it opens
Responsibilities
Store Layout & Space Planning
Produce store layouts covering sales floor, fresh food departments, back of house, receiving, storage, offices and staff facilities.
Optimize the sales floor to back-of-house ratio and department adjacencies to maximize selling space and customer flow.
Design customer circulation, entrance, checkout and queuing areas against expected footfall and peak trading.
Plan fixture layouts, aisle widths, gondola runs and display positions in coordination with Commercial and Operations.
Design goods flow from receiving bay through storage to the sales floor so replenishment does not cross customer areas.
Technical Design & Specification
Produce and coordinate architectural, finishing drawings for new stores, refits and extensions.
Coordinate mechanical, electrical, plumbing, refrigeration and fire system design with consultants and specialist contractors.
Specify store equipment including refrigeration cabinets, cold rooms, bakery and butchery equipment, checkouts and shopfitting.
Review and approve contractor shop drawings and material submittals before works begin on site.
Maintain the store design standards, prototype layouts and specification library so new stores are consistent.
Compliance & Operability
Design in compliance with building, fire safety, civil defense, accessibility and municipal requirements.
Ensure the layout supports food safety requirements including separation of raw and ready-to-eat areas and correct waste routes.
Design refrigeration and cooling capacity against the fresh food and frozen range planned for the store.
Coordinate with Maintenance so installations are accessible, serviceable and use standardized equipment.
Conduct value engineering at design stage to reduce build and running cost without weakening the customer offer.
Documentation & Project Support
Produce tender drawings, bills of quantities and technical specifications for the procurement of works.
Support technical evaluation of contractor and supplier bids on design and specification grounds.
Issue design clarifications during construction and control design changes through a documented change process.
Produce and maintain as-built drawings and handover documentation for every completed store.
Review completed stores after opening and feed operational lessons back into the design standards.
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in architecture or Applied Arts.
3-5 years of design experience, preferably in Retail, Supermarkets, Hospitality or commercial fit-out.
Strong proficiency in AutoCAD and Revit or equivalent; 3D visualization skills are an advantage.
Practical knowledge of store layout, shopfitting, refrigeration and MEP coordination.
Working knowledge of Egyptian building, fire and civil defense requirements for commercial premises.
Experience producing tender drawings, specifications and bills of quantities