18 Degrees is hiring a senior lighting designer to join its team in London.

18 Degrees is a specialist lighting design consultancy based in London. For more than a decade we have built a strong track record with landlords, occupiers, retail brands and multinational clients, creating commercial spaces that are both beautiful and environmentally responsible. Through our sister venture 18 Circular, we are also leading the case for lighting reuse in the UK, showing that great lighting does not have to mean new lighting.

We are looking for a senior lighting designer to lead projects from first brief through to handover, and to play a central role in developing the designers around you.

You will join a small team, reporting to our Associate and working directly with our founder. In a practice our size, you will have real responsibility, your ideas will shape how we work and your contribution will make a difference.

We would ideally like you to start in January 2027, or as soon as your notice period allows.

This is a studio based role, as working alongside and developing our team is central to it. Occasional home working is available by arrangement, and we are happy to discuss working hours at interview.

What you will do:

lead workplace, retail, landlord areas and refurbishment projects, managing client relationships, budgets and resourcing
set the design direction on your projects and develop lighting and controls designs
review and approve your team’s drawings, specifications and reports, giving clear feedback that helps them develop
present design ideas to clients and work closely with the wider design team
carry out site visits, snagging and commissioning
contribute to fee proposals, business development and building our network
mentor, inspire and develop the junior members of our team

What we are looking for:

a portfolio of completed UK projects you have led, gained at a well established lighting design practice
experience across a range of project types, including complex or high profile schemes
good working knowledge of UK lighting standards, emergency lighting and control systems such as DALI or Casambi
experience delivering BIM projects in Revit
excellent presentation and communication skills
commercial awareness and the ability to manage project budgets
team leadership experience, including guiding and developing less experienced designers
strong proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, Dialux (or equivalent) and Adobe Creative Suite
the right to work in the UK (we are unable to offer visa sponsorship)

Nice to have:

BIM management experience
an interest in sustainable and circular approaches to lighting

What we offer:

salary: £45,000 to £55,000 depending on experience
genuine scope to grow your responsibilities and develop your role
the chance to work on lighting reuse projects with our sister venture 18 Circular
private health insurance, including dental
25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
CPD support, including paid SLL, IALD or ILP membership
a collaborative, supportive team where learning is part of the job
easy transport links to Stratford, and great coffee when you get here

How to apply

Please submit a single PDF containing your CV and a portfolio of no more than 10 pages (under 10MB) via the apply for job button below with “senior lighting designer” in the subject line, by Wednesday 18 November 2026. With it, include a short covering note telling us why you would like to join 18 Degrees and how your experience fits the role.

First interviews will take place from Wednesday 25 November, with a second stage in the week of 7 December. At interview, we will ask you to talk us through a project you are proud of, and one where something went wrong and how you resolved it.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

If you need any adjustments to the application or interview process, please let us know.

We are not accepting applications through agencies.

18 Degrees

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Senior lighting designer