Senior Designer - Menswear

NEXT Retail Ltd.; Leicester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - GBP 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fashion retailer in Leicester is seeking a Senior Menswear Designer to lead design efforts focused on wovens, including shirting and tailoring. The ideal candidate will have a degree in fashion or textiles and extensive experience in the industry. Key responsibilities include creating product visions, managing design teams, and collaborating with various departments. This full-time role requires strong organizational skills and a passion for fashion, offering a vibrant work environment at the company's headquarters.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Discount on Joules and NEXT products

Flexible working hours

On-site cafe with subsidised food

Employee Assistance Program for well-being

Access to discounts at NEXT staff shop

Qualifications

• Passion for the fashion industry and understanding of lifestyle brands.
• Strong organizational skills and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Create vision and proposals for the product area.
• Manage team performance and resources.
• Collaborate with buying and technology teams.
• Review design effectiveness through store contact.

Skills

Fashion design

Team leadership

Collaboration

Creativity

Time management

Education

Degree or HND in fashion or textiles

Job description

About the Role:
Ready to start your Joules Journey? Step into the role of a Senior Menswear Designer. Discover an exciting opportunity to take on an integral role here at Joules Head Office. Your focus will be mainly on wovens areas including shirting, tailoring and bottoms. You will be utilising your exceptional taste level to create designs that are representative of the latest trends whilst reflecting the Joules brand in order to meet the expectations of our customers.

The rest of your day to day in the role:

• Plan and create a vision for your product area, making proposals for newness.
• Create mood boards to reflect key design influences and the overall vision for your department, in order to sell the looks, moods, colours etc to the product teams.
• Motivate your team to ensure they maximise performance levels.
• Identify new areas of potential business and put forward proposals to your Line Manager and product teams.
• Collaborate with Buying and Technology to ensure the prototypes reflect your designs and meet the required standards.
• Use your knowledge of existing and potential suppliers to assist with the evaluation of the supplier base in relation to the production of your product range.
• Work with technology to assess the most effective method of producing your design prototypes and make recommendations to your Line Manager and product team.
• Delegate tasks effectively to ensure the workload is appropriately and fairly distributed amongst the team.
• Regularly review the effectiveness/impact of your designs through regular contact with the stores and with the product teams and leverage this knowledge to inform future proposals.
• Manage resources and workload in order to achieve efficiently your department’s business plan. This will involve controlling set budgets, prioritising workflow and conducting regular team reviews to ensure deadlines and targets are met.

About You:
To really shine within the role of a Senior Menswear Designer you must be able to work flexibly and at pace with a passion for the Fashion industry and a clear understanding of lifestyle brands. However, what we value most here at Joules is your ability to really align with who we are. So, if you:

• Have a keen interest in the fashion and retail industry
• Want to be part of a team who loves getting stuff done
• Have a genuine team spirit
• Are fearlessly creative with ideas to share
• Are not afraid to fail and grow
• Have a genuine positivity for the future of our brand and all we can achieve
• Are adaptable and can embrace change
• Can work collaboratively and are always ready to give it your all
• Enjoy celebrating success

Then look no further, the role of Senior Menswear Designer at Joules was made for you!

From a technical and operational perspective, it would also be advantageous if you have:

• Hold a Degree or HND in fashion or textiles or have extensive, equivalent experience.
• Organisational skills and strong time management.
• Enthusiasm for and dedication to the Joules brand.
• Willingness and high level ability to liaise with colleagues, suppliers and all relevant stakeholders.

Where will you be working?
This is a full time role based at our Market Harborough, Leicestershire Head Office whereby you must be willing to be present in the office 5 days per week.

Your Application
Please note that applications not accompanied by a cover letter and portfolio are unlikely to be progressed. We highly recommend that your application includes the following:

• Design Portfolio
• Have you demonstrated your technical skills as well as your own unique handwriting?
• Have you considered who the Joules customer is?
• Have you researched and considered the latest trends in the product category you are interviewing for? Does your moodboard reflect this?
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the Joules brand.
• Which Designers and Brands inspire you, why?
• What makes you, you? In true Joules fashion, we love to know how you spend your time off!
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays with opportunity to buy/sell
• Private medical insurance
• Health and Wellbeing benefits - Opt in Healthcare cash plan, free digital GP via the Aviva App, Wellhub app access with discounted gym membership, free access to an array of health and wellness apps and much more
• We offer flexible start and finish times and discretionary flexibility to support your needs and help you navigate life’s demands as and when your work allows
• 25% staff discount on Joules and NEXT products
• Up to 10% off most NEXT partner Brands & Branded Beauty products
• Up to 25% off Joules partner Brands
• Opt-in clothing allowance
• Access to fantastic discounts at our NEXT staff shop
• Life assurance
• Reward Schemes - From a cycle to work scheme to discounts with nearly 1000 retailers
• Collaborative, progressive and supportive working environment
• Competitive employer pension contributions
• Financial, physical and mental wellbeing support via our Employee Assistance Program
• Dedicated Learning and Development
• The Cafe - Our infamous on-site cafe offering subsidised, healthy, fresh and varied food available from breakfast through to lunch and beyond
• Free on-site Parking & low cost EV charging points

Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.

We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email [e-mail] (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.

What’s Next?

Apply: Show us what you can do. Submit your application online and our recruitment team will take a first look at your experience and strengths.

Inform

Let’s talk. We will get in touch for an initial conversation by phone or video to learn more about you and share what the team is looking for.

Review

If you are invited to an interview, you may be asked to present an interview task or portfolio and talk through your experience in a competency based interview. It is also your chance to ask questions and get to know us.

Offer

If it’s the right match, our recruitment team will be in touch with a job offer and next steps. This is where your journey with NEXT begins.

Team Overview

This is where ideas become incredible collections. Designers, Buyers, Merchandisers, and Technologists collaborate to create products our customers love. Youll spot global trends, strategically balance our range plans and meticulously test quality so every season feels fresh, inspiring and exceptional.

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Youve probably heard of NEXT, but did you know about our portfolio? Every brand in our offering brings a distinct story, attitude and community. Spanning contemporary lifestyle brands, established high street names and timeless collections, together they showcase the vibrancy of today’s retail world.

About Joules

We believe in dressing well for the weekend, every weekend. We are inspired by the countryside, coasts and towns in which we love to spend time. We champion our customers’ style every step of the way and our people are no exception to this.

Prepare to be part of a dynamic, hard-working, collaborative and inspirational team, creating and bringing product to market season after season for our iconic British brand. You can expect a journey outlined with clear goals and aspirations shared by the whole business whilst building cross-collaborative relationships including the opportunity to work with our Founder; Tom Joule, and his Senior Team who have a wealth of knowledge to share.

Challenges. Opportunities. The future. Let’s take it on at NEXT.