Design Room Manager

Zimmermann; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development plans

Product discounts

Career progression

Inclusive team culture

Job summary

ZIMMERMANN, founded in Sydney, invites a Design Room Manager to lead the end-to-end Ready to Wear design and development path. You will drive the critical path from concept to production handover, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver creative, high-quality collections.

You will manage PLM processes, vendor relations, and seasonal setup, ensuring craftsmanship and innovation align with brand standards and timelines in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years’ experience in a design or product development leadership role.
• A degree in Fashion Design or a related discipline.
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing cross‑functional and global teams.
• Deep technical knowledge of fabrics, garment construction, and pattern making.
• Advanced experience with PLM systems and Adobe Creative Suite.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end Design & Development Critical Path for Ready to Wear, from concept to production handover across all seasonal and capsule collections.
• Drive delivery against key milestones across design, sourcing, sampling, and product development—ensuring collections are on time and within budget.
• Partner with the Creative Director, Senior Design Team, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate creative vision into commercially viable collections.
• Continuously enhance design room operations, optimise workflows, and support innovation across fabrics, prints, trims, and techniques.
• Ensure strong governance and quality outcomes, including PLM accuracy, BOM integrity, costings, and margin alignment.
• Lead supplier, systems, and seasonal setup management, including sourcing strategy and sample budget tracking.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication

Time management

Fabric knowledge

Pattern making

Education

Degree in Fashion Design

Tools

PLM systems

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Our Brand Story ZIMMERMANN is a global luxury fashion brand, founded in Sydney in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. Renowned for its signature approach to sophisticated femininity, distinctive prints, and exceptional craftsmanship, the brand is present across Australia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia.

Job Description Our Brand Story ZIMMERMANN is a global luxury fashion brand, founded in Sydney in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann. Renowned for its signature approach to sophisticated femininity, distinctive prints, and exceptional craftsmanship, the brand is present across Australia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Nicky Zimmermann’s creative vision and Simone Zimmermann’s strategic leadership have formed the foundation of the brand’s success. Their partnership – balancing design innovation with strong commercial direction – remains central to ZIMMERMANN’s identity and growth. Today, ZIMMERMANN continues to redefine modern luxury with collections that celebrate self-expression. Grounded in Australian sun-soaked optimism, the brand resonates with women around the world. Our global teams are united by a shared commitment to creativity, quality, and evolving the brand with integrity and purpose. At ZIMMERMANN, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to empowering talented individuals to build meaningful careers within an inclusive, collaborative, and forward‑thinking environment – where craftsmanship and innovation are celebrated, and individuality is valued. Job Requirements The Opportunity ZIMMERMANN is seeking a talented Design Room Manager to join our Ready to Wear Design & Development team. In this role, you’ll play an important part in leading the end-to-end design and development critical path, helping to bring our collections to life. You will support design excellence, product integrity, innovation, and operational rhythm, contributing to a brand defined by creativity, quality, and craftsmanship. This opportunity is ideal if you’re motivated by craft, creativity, problem‑solving, detail, and collaboration, and enjoy working in an environment where strong ideas are shaped through fittings, refinement, and thoughtful execution. As a Design Room Manager, you will contribute to the successful delivery of seasonal collections from concept through to production handover, balancing creative thinking with hands‑on delivery to support outcomes across design and production. You will collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams to help shape how we work today and how we evolve in seasons ahead.

Job Responsibilities Key Responsibilities As Design Room Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Own the end-to-end Design & Development Critical Path for Ready to Wear, ensuring seamless execution from concept through to production handover across all seasonal and capsule collections

• Drive delivery against key milestones across design, sourcing, sampling, and product development—ensuring collections are executed on time, within budget, and aligned to creative and commercial objectives

• Partner closely with the Creative Director, Senior Design Team, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate creative vision into commercially viable collections, maintaining clear communication on progress and priorities

• Continuously enhance design room operations and processes, identifying opportunities to optimise workflows, elevate craftsmanship, and support innovation across fabrics, prints, trims, and techniques

• Ensure strong governance and quality outcomes, including oversight of PLM accuracy, BOM integrity, costings, margin alignment, and adherence to critical path timelines across all product categories

• Lead supplier, systems, and seasonal setup management, including sourcing strategy, vendor relationships, PLM (C8) oversight, and sample budget tracking to support efficient and scalable delivery

Job Benefits What You Will Bring

• 15+ years’ experience in a similar design or product development leadership role
• A degree in Fashion Design or a related discipline
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing cross‑functional and global teams
• Deep technical knowledge of fabrics, garment construction, and pattern making
• Advanced experience working with PLM systems and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage complex timelines and competing priorities
• A collaborative approach with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to operate confidently in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment

Why Join ZIMMERMANN

• Access to tailored development plans and learning opportunities
• Generous employee benefits and product discounts
• Clear pathways for career progression within a global organisation
• A collaborative, high‑performing, and inclusive team culture

ZIMMERMANN is an equal opportunity employer. We assess all applicants based on their individual capabilities, experience, and qualifications and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you have any support or access requirements, please let us know at the time of application so we can assist you throughout the recruitment process.