Top 6 placemaking jobs and the skills required to land them
One particular field which has grown tremendously over the last several years is the placemaking sector. This growth has opened up a series of lucrative opportunities for individuals looking to spice up their careers and take on new and exciting challenges.
This article looks at what placemaking is, six in-demand jobs that you can start looking into, and what skills are needed to land them.
What is placemaking?
Placemaking is a term that only really became popular in 2018 and relates directly to the retail, commercial, industrial, and residential sectors. It is the process of creating a sense of ‘place’ in a given location like shopping centers, mixed use estates, industrial parks and commercial portfolios. The idea is to create a reason for the customer to spend more time and inevitably more money with the tenants at the destination. This could include:
- Shopping
- Renewing tenancy (as a retail tenant, worker or resident)
- Leisure time e.g. bowling or at the cinema
- Staying in hotels
- Working
The longer the consumer stays on site, the more money they will spend and this will increase the value of the asset or property for the landlord. In order to create an enjoyable experience for visitors, customer initiatives can be put in place to boost the experience such as:
- Customer services
- Front of house 5* concierge
- Good lighting
- Clear signage
- Health and safety measures
- Anything to maximise the customer journey and keep them on site!
Top 6 in-demand placemaking jobs
As placemaking has become more and more popular, there are now many jobs available in the field. In this section, we take a quick look at some of the more in-demand jobs in the placemaking market.
1. Shopping Centre Manager/ General Manager/ Estate Manager
A Shopping Centre, General or Estate Manager is the head of the asset and is responsible for the strategic direction and success of the property(ies) and the management of all site staff.
2. Operations Manager/ Facilities Manager/ Building Manager
A Operations, Facilities or Building Manager is responsible for the operational excellence of an asset including contractor management, front of house and customer services, health and safety, cleaning, security and technical services etc.
3. Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager is responsible for the ongoing growth of the brand of the asset as a whole. Through marketing initiatives, their goal is to drive footfall, tenancy levels, customer dwell-time, loyalty and average spend throughout.
4. Retail Manager
A Retail Manger is responsible for building relationships with tenants. Their role is to be the first point of contact for all tenants within a property. This can include operational needs, business performance, marketing, simply anything! They are there to offer support on every level to help tenants drive their success (and in the process, retain them as tenants).
5. Asset Manager
An Asset Manager’s objective is to consistently increase the value of the assets within their portfolio. This can be done by developments, refurbishments, reconfiguration or tenant layout, lease regears and investment.
6. Leasing Manager
A Leasing Manager is responsible to the leasing of any empty building or properties throughout a portfolio. They’re responsible for negotiating the best possible deals to support in maintaining the rent roll and therefore asset value.
Desirable skills for placemaking projects
Now that you know some of the different jobs and opportunities in placemaking, it’s time to look at some of the skills needed to get into the field.
Customer centric
The customer is at the heart of everything they do! The main goal is to create engaging and enjoyable experiences so that the consumer stays on site for as long as possible and spend, spend, spend! You must enjoy a customer facing role and be approachable, understanding and have good people skills.
Strategic thinking
You should possess good problem-solving skills and be able to make decisions independently. In fact, strategic thinking skills are among the most highly sought-after management competencies. Why? Because employees who can thinking critically and logically will have a huge impact on the property(ies) trajectory.
Job specific skills
It goes without saying that you’ll require relevant skills and experience suited to the role. For example, a Shopping Centre Manager would usually need a retail background and have developed skills in liaising with and managing retail tenants within their shopping centre. So an ability to talk their language is key!
A one team ethos!
From the maintenance and cleaning teams to the Marketing, Leasing, Asset and general Managers, everyone working on site should feel part of a community all working towards the same goal – keeping the customers and clients happy!
How Can Foundation Recruitment Help You Land Your Next Job?
Here at Foundation Recruitment, we are committed to supporting our candidates through every step of their job-seeking process. We make sure to introduce you to the best roles that match your skills, personality, personal preferences, and personal goals. Aside from introducing you to new opportunities, we also offer:
- CV advice
- Interview coaching and preparation
- Feedback on your interviews
- Negotiating with potential employers on your behalf
So, if you’ve been looking for guidance for landing your dream job, register with us and begin your journey today.