Design Manager

About the role:

Reporting into the Head of Design, the Design Manager plays a pivotale role in leading the creative direction of collections, ensuring brand consistency across all ranges. This role works cross-functionally with key departments, including buying, marketing, and garment technology - to drive commercial success while mentoring and developing junior members of the design team.

Your Responsibilities:

· Provide creative direction and leadership for the Design team, guiding and inspiring them to achieve the brand's vision.

· Conceptualise and develop cohesive design concepts, themes, and narratives for each collection.

· Collaborate closely with the Head of Design to align each collections with the brand's overall creative direction and vision.

· Oversee the end-to-end design process, from initial sketches to final production, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality collections.

· Partner with the Buying & Merchandising teams to understand market research and trend analysis to identify emerging themes, styles, and consumer preferences.

· Translate trends and market insights into innovative and commercially viable design concepts that resonate with our target audience.

· Partner with the Creative and Marketing teams to support seasonal concept development, including shoot concepts and storytelling

· Approve final line-ups, ensuring product range aligns with customer needs and commercial objectives

· Evaluate market trends, consumer behaviour, and competitor activity to drive future design strategies and direction

· Lead high-level supplier relationships and negotiate key developments independently

· Oversee collection planning, ensuring design workstreams align with critical path and business priorities

· Mentor and develop junior designers, providing guidance on both creative and technical aspects

· Collaborate with senior members (Buying, Marketing, Merchandising) to align creative direction

· Lead design reviews and present collections to leadership with clear rationale and vision

· React strategically to trade and performance feedback, driving quick-turn updates or edits to enhance sell-through

· Extensive experience in fashion design, with a strong track record of designing commercially successful womenswear collections

· Strong technical experience across Knitwear, Tailoring and Jersey

· Demonstrated ability to set and lead creative direction across multiple product categories, with a deep understanding of brand identity and customer profile

· Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with experience managing, coaching, and developing junior designers

· Proven experience conducting market and trend research, with the ability to translate insights into commercially relevant, brand-aligned collections.

· Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), and confident in producing high-quality CADs, moodboards, and presentation materials.

· Strong technical skills in garment construction and product development, including creating and reviewing detailed tech packs and prototypes

· Experience negotiating with suppliers and managing high-level vendor relationships with confidence and professionalism

· Confident in presenting collections and design rationale to leadership and cross-functional teams

· Excellent organisational and project management skills — able to manage multiple deadlines, oversee the critical path, and balance creative output with business priorities

· Collaborative approach with cross-functional teams (Buying, Merchandising, Garment Tech, Marketing), ensuring alignment at all stages of the design and development process

· Resilient, adaptable, and solution-oriented, with a forward-thinking, trend-led design approach

• Birthday day off
• 25-day holiday
• Flexible hours
• Vibrant team
• 40% off staff discount
• Team socials
• Free Parking
• Competitions
• Hybrid working - 4 days in the Altrincham office