Design Researcher

The role

Chalk Studio is a full service interior design and design-build studio working pan-India across residential, commercial, retail and hospitality projects. We are building a dedicated research and sourcing function so that every project carries something that cannot be found in a catalogue.

This is a research led role, not a drafting role. You will be the studio's eye for the exceptional: the karigar in Jodhpur doing inlay that nobody has documented, the ceramicist whose glaze work belongs in a hospitality lobby, the block print archive that can become a bespoke wall treatment.

You will find these makers, understand the craft well enough to brief them, and turn that into design elements our teams can specify with confidence.

What you will do

Discover

• Map artisans, ateliers, galleries and specialist manufacturers across India and select international markets
• Travel to craft clusters and production units to assess technique, quality and capacity first hand
• Track collectible design, art and antiques relevant to our project typologies
• Attend and report back from design fairs and craft events

Source

• Secure signature pieces, artworks, carvings and surface treatments for live projects
• Commission bespoke work end to end: write the brief, guide the maker, review samples, approve production
• Onboard new vendors, negotiate terms and manage the pipeline through to site delivery

Document

• Build and own the studio's material and craft library, physical samples plus a searchable digital archive
• Record technique, provenance, application, cost bands, MOQs and lead times against every source
• Produce curated material stories that project and business development teams can use directly

Apply

• Work with design leads from concept stage to bring research led options into the scheme
• Advise on technique feasibility, detailing and installation for craft based elements
• Build a bank of proprietary elements that become recognisably Chalk Studio

What we are looking for

• 2 to 4 years in materials research, sourcing, craft curation, product development or a related design practice
• Genuine depth in at least one craft tradition: stone or wood carving, inlay, metalwork, ceramics, glass, textiles or similar
• Strong research and documentation instincts. You can build an argument for a material choice, not just a mood board
• Comfort with costing, lead times, quality checks and site coordination
• Appetite for frequent travel and fieldwork
• Fluency in English and Hindi

A plus

• A PhD, MPhil or Master's in design history, material culture, craft studies, art history or product design. Doctoral candidates moving into practice are strongly encouraged to apply
• Published research, curatorial, exhibition or archival work
• A regional language relevant to major craft clusters
• International sourcing and import experience
• Photography and visual documentation skills

Your first year

• A material and craft library the team uses by default
• A vetted roster of craft partners across four to five clusters
• Bespoke elements researched, commissioned and installed in live projects