Fit-out & Interior Recruitment Agency

FIS is the Finishes and Interiors Sector, the UK trade association for the interiors and fit-out supply chain, including contractors, manufacturers and suppliers across drywall, ceilings, operable walls, passive fire protection, flooring and interior finishes. FIS membership is a common trust marker on major UK fit-out tenders, and FIS publishes technical guidance including the FIS Acoustic Standards for fit-out and best-practice installation guides. Senior fit-out PMs and commercial leads are commonly expected to be familiar with FIS standards and member supply chains.

The BCO (British Council for Offices) Specification is the UK reference standard for office occupier requirements, setting recommendations across floor-to-ceiling heights, structural grid, raised floor depths, lighting, air-conditioning, WCs, lift and service provision, occupier density and amenity. The BCO Specification is updated periodically and is referenced in UK landlord and occupier briefing, CAT A appraisal and speculative office specification. A senior fit-out or commercial appraisal CV is expected to reference BCO Specification fluency.

Two overlapping but distinct specialisms. Interior Designers work on the interior fit-out of spaces: furniture, finishes, lighting, branding, layout, occupier experience. They are typically affiliated with BIID and SBID. Interior Architects work on the permanent interior fabric of buildings: permanent partitioning, stair and atrium design, major reconfiguration of space affecting the building's architecture. They are typically ARB-registered Architects specialising in interiors. UK practice often blurs the two terms, but on recruitment briefs it is usually clear from context and deliverables which specialism the role is pointed at. Our Architecture & Design page covers the Interior Architect market; this Fit-out & Interior page covers the Interior Designer and fit-out delivery market.

WELL is the occupant wellbeing certification system operated by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). It assesses buildings and interior spaces against categories including Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. WELL Certification is commonly targeted on premium CAT B occupier fit-outs alongside BREEAM Interiors. Design managers and fit-out PMs working on WELL-targeted schemes are expected to understand the certification process, and WELL AP (Accredited Professional) credentials are a meaningful differentiator on senior fit-out and workplace consultancy briefs.

Ska Rating is the UK fit-out sustainability assessment method developed by RICS. It is used to assess and benchmark sustainable fit-out performance across offices, retail and higher education interiors, covering energy, water, materials, waste, pollution, wellbeing, transport, management and project delivery. Ska is commonly used alongside BREEAM Interiors on fit-out briefs seeking a specific sustainability certification outcome.

Two distinct UK contractor categories. Main contractors deliver new-build construction and shell-and-core buildings, typically under JCT or NEC contract forms. Fit-out contractors specialise in interior fit-out within completed shell-and-core or existing buildings, typically under JCT Design and Build or bespoke fit-out contracts, with compressed programmes and interior-specific supply chains. Some contractors do both (for example Mace Interiors is the fit-out arm of a tier-one main contractor), but senior fit-out careers typically specialise into one or the other. Our Construction page covers main contractor hiring; this Fit-out & Interior page covers the fit-out contractor market.

Amenity-led CAT B is the UK occupier fit-out pattern that emerged after the hybrid-work shift from 2022 onward, where occupiers invest a significantly higher proportion of CAT B budget in amenity space (collaboration, meeting, social, wellbeing, food and beverage) rather than in dense individual workstations. Amenity-led CAT B typically demands more complex brief management, stakeholder engagement, change management and integration with workplace consultancy, and senior fit-out PMs and design managers with live amenity-led CAT B evidence are in short supply.

Broad 2026 market ranges. Assistant Fit-out PM 32 to 42 thousand. Fit-out Project Manager 48 to 72. Senior Fit-out PM 70 to 95. Fit-out Contracts Manager 65 to 90. Fit-out Design Manager 55 to 80. Fit-out Senior QS 60 to 85. Fit-out Commercial Manager 75 to 110. Programme Director / Heads of Delivery 100 to 170 plus. Interior Designer 28 to 42 graduate/mid-level, Senior Interior Designer 48 to 68, Associate Interior Designer 65 to 90. Workplace Consultant 45 to 70, Senior Workplace Consultant 70 to 100. Retail and hospitality specialism typically sits within these ranges; life sciences and healthcare specialism commonly commands a premium. London and tier-one fit-out contractor premiums apply.

Yes, across all three. Office fit-out (CAT A, CAT A+, CAT B) is the largest volume on our desk, given London-centric commercial market intensity. Retail fit-out (high street, department store, experiential and destination retail rollouts) is a distinct specialism with its own contractor network. Hospitality fit-out (hotels, restaurants, bars, leisure) is commonly delivered under design-build or bespoke D&B contract structures. Candidates regularly cross between the three, and we brief accordingly.

Yes. Specialist-sector fit-out is a growing share of our desk. Life sciences and lab fit-out (including Good Manufacturing Practice and cleanroom-adjacent work) is driven by UK life sciences expansion across the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and London cluster. Healthcare and clinical fit-out is commonly delivered under HTM (Health Technical Memoranda) alignment for NHS trust work. Data centre white-space fit-out is rising with UK hyperscale and colocation growth. Museum, gallery and exhibition fit-out is a further specialist stream we cover.

Yes, across all three. Permanent placements are the majority volume. Contract cover is common on scheme delivery peaks, mobilisation windows, specialist-sector project surges and mobilisation of rollout programmes. Interim Head of Delivery, Head of Design and Programme Director placements are used on post-acquisition team integration, senior cover pending permanent hire, and standing up new specialist teams in life sciences, healthcare or data centre fit-out.