Senior Designer

Role: Senior Designer (Performance)

Reports into: Head of Design

Contract Type: Full Time, working 7.5 hours per day, 37.5 hours a week, 5 days per week

Location: Hybrid, working 3 days a week in our offices based in Old Street (may need to be more on occasion), London (with international travel to key markets)

Key Markets: UK & US (London & LA focus)

About Us

Nothing is clearer to us than the belief that every woman should include strength training in her life to enhance both physical and mental well-being. It's about building strong bodies and even stronger minds, asserting their right to take up space in the gym, and allowing the spotlight to shine bright on their progress.

To us, strength training represents a determined, goal-oriented mindset and an unwavering work ethic. We don't wait for success; we create it through hard work and determination. When faced with challenges, we don't back down; instead, we break through barriers, recognising that true progress lies on the other side.

These are the pillars that form the foundation of Oner Active. We consistently challenge ourselves to create innovative and impactful products, so that you can perform better. With our range of products and innovative approach, we provide a wide variety of colours to ensure that all skin tones genuinely radiate in Oner.

Our Purpose and Mission

We are on a mission to unite and empower women to be the strongest version of themselves through strength training. We want to inspire women to take centre stage in the gym by promoting strength training, which underpins all movement and sport, as a healthy foundation in life. 

Our Benefits

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays and work from anywhere up to 4 weeks a year

• 5% employer match salary sacrifice pension scheme

• Generous Oner Active discount plus regular office sample sales

• Free Evolve You subscription

• Private Healthcare with Vitality including optical and dental

• Monthly wellness allowance and team workout classes

• Start-up culture - the chance to learn and make a real impact

• Great employee events like our Summer party, Christmas party and team away days

• Healthy office snacks and fruit (plus a chocolate cupboard for a sweet treat for the balance)

• Dog friendly office

Our Design Team:

The Design team brings our brand vision to life through innovative and trend-led collections that connect with our community. From sketching concepts to sourcing fabrics and refining details, we create products that are both functional and fashion-forward. We work closely with Buying, Garment Tech, and Merchandising to ensure every design not only looks incredible but is achievable within timelines, delivering collections that inspire and perform season after season.

You'll be responsible for:

Design Direction & Vision:

• Support the Head of Design and Founder drive the creative vision and design direction for Oner Active's performance product range, ensuring collections embody our brand DNA while innovating and pushing boundaries.

• Discover and develop Oner Active's unique point of view within the gym space, differentiating the brand in key markets (UK, US, especially London and LA).

• Design and develop activewear collections that are commercial, directional and relevant for market

• Curate and showcase compelling colour palettes and mood boards for new collections, bringing the brand's vision to life through thoughtful storytelling

• Select fabrics and components that are suitable for product collections and relevant for market

• Identify opportunities to enhance product functionality and performance through innovative garment construction, detailing, and techniques

• Work closely with the lifestyle design team to build a cohesive head-to-toe collection

• Champion sustainability and ethical sourcing practices within the design process, embedding integrity and responsibility into the brand's creative vision.

• Maintain a clear understanding of brand purpose and fashion with integrity, ensuring these principles are reflected across all design activities.

Trend Forecasting & Market Insight:

• Play a critical role in trend forecasting, identifying style, shape, colour and head to toe dressing opportunities within the market to position Oner Active as a leader in the performance space

• Lead market research and competitor analysis to stay ahead of emerging trends, ensuring the performance range resonates with evolving customer desires.

• Research and identify trends in fashion, fitness, and culture to inform design decisions and inspire innovative product solutions

• Conduct comp shopping, trade fair visits, and market analysis.

• Present compelling trend research and act as the design voice when working with Buying, Merchandising, and Commercial leadership.

• Use relevant sales data, customer profile analytics, and insights to design commercially relevant, fashion-forward ranges.

• Anticipate the needs of the Oner Active customer to deliver product ranges that reflect customer demand and brand positioning.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate with the Head of Design, the Buying, Merchandising & Garment Tech teams to design and launch trend-forward, customer-centric products.

• Partner with the Head of Design and Marketing and Creative teams to ensure cohesive product storytelling that resonates with the customer base.

• Collaborate across departments to communicate the design vision clearly and consistently.

• Support the Head of Design, Styling and Visual Merchandising in product presentation internally and externally

Product Development & Execution:

• Work closely with the Head of Design, Buying and Technical teams to shape seasonal product development and ensure alignment with the brand strategy.

• Create detailed tech packs including sketches, construction details, and fabric selections for handoff to development and production teams

• Nurture the design from concept through to production, including silhouettes, fabrics, trimmings, artworks, and construction.

• Attend fittings and work on fit development with the Technical team and help create new blocks for the performance category

• Maintain strong relationships with suppliers and factories in the Far East, Turkey, and Portugal, advising on design direction and ensuring flawless execution in production.

• Identify and execute new product opportunities to ensure Oner Active leads — rather than follows in the fashion market.

• Ensure attention to product details - guarantee garment is fit for its end use in terms of design and captures the brand DNA as well as consistent branding.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead and mentor junior members of the design team, fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration to deliver high-quality, trend-driven products.

• Provide clear direction, development, and regular feedback to junior team members, identifying training needs and encouraging collaborative working.

• Motivate and engage the junior members of the team through recognition, coaching, and leadership.

• Ensure you are working within the department critical path and managing/attending relevant meetings to guarantee design deadlines are met

• Lead by example as a role model to junior designers

• Present yourself as a senior leader through your behaviour, showing you can adapt to ongoing change and evolution of the company, and help take junior members on that journey.

• Learn to give and receive constructive feedback to help develop yourself and junior team members.

Strategic Contribution:

• Contribute to business-wide initiatives and positively influence organisational change.

• Assist with ad-hoc projects as needed to support overall brand and business objectives.

• Take on additional responsibilities outside of day to day design and own any additional projects

You'll need to have:

• 6 - 8 years proven experience in a senior design or creative role within lifestyle, activewear, or fashion brands.

• Proven experience managing and leading design teams, with a focus on fostering creativity and delivering exceptional results.

• Expertise in trend forecasting and market analysis, with a proven ability to translate insights into innovative product designs.

• A deep understanding of the lifestyle market, with a creative vision to develop products that set trends rather than follow them.

• Experience working with supply chains in the Far East, Turkey, and Portugal, ensuring product designs are executed to the highest standards.

• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to recognise opportunities in the UK and US markets and leverage them creatively.

• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and inspire innovation.

• Passion for the Oner Active brand and a desire to be part of its ongoing growth and success.

• Ability to build strong relationships with direct colleagues and across departments.

• Able to find the best solutions to problems and inspire new working methods.

• A proactive, self-starter with strong communication skills.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Oner Active it's about embracing diversity and empowering every individual to reach their full potential. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to thrive.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities during the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments or additional support, we encourage you to reach out to our Recruitment team — we're here to support you every step of the way.