Assistant Designer - Special Projects

Superdry careers; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Birthday day off

Company Pension

Staff discount

Job summary

Superdry & Co is seeking an enthusiastic Assistant Designer to join the Special Projects team in Cheltenham. You will assist across apparel, footwear, graphics and licensed collaborations, from concept through sampling to market launch.

You will work closely with the Senior Designer, gain exposure to product reviews, and contribute to brand-leading, commercially successful outcomes while learning how ideas translate into products.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in Fashion, Product, Textile or Graphic Design.

Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Designer across the full design and development cycle from concept to market-ready visuals.
• Create concepts, mood boards, colour palettes and prints; assist with repeat prints and surface artwork.
• Prepare technical flat sketches and product design packages for development and production.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure design intent is understood and executed.

Skills

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Microsoft Office

Portfolio

Attention to detail

Organisation

Degree in Fashion/Graphic Design

Creative development

Education

Fashion/Graphic Design degree or equivalent

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

The Role

Superdry & Co is looking for a talented and highly motivated Assistant Designer to join our Special Projects team.This is an exciting entry-level opportunity for someone who wants to build a broad and varied design career, working across apparel, footwear, accessories, graphics, print and licensed brand collaborations.

Working closely with the Senior Designer – Special Projects, you will support projects from their earliest creative concept through design development, sampling, production and eventual launch to market. You will help the team deliver innovative, brand-leading work with pace, energy and attention to detail.

The role offers exposure to a wide range of creative and commercial projects, as well as the opportunity to participate in key product reviews and feedback conversations with senior stakeholders, including our CEO.

Our Special Projects team works closely and collaboratively, so we are looking for someone who is proactive, adaptable and happy to get involved wherever support is needed. You will need to balance creative thinking with strong organisation and a willingness to learn how great ideas are translated into commercially successful products.

This role is based in Cheltenham, with an expectation of five days per week in the office. Candidates must therefore be based within a practical commuting distance or be willing to relocate to the Cheltenham area for the position.

You Will

• Creative and Product Development
  • Support the Senior Designer across the full design and development cycle, from initial concept through to sampling, production and market-facing visuals.
  • Contribute to concept creation, mood boards, colour palettes, materials, graphics and prints, and support the creation of repeat prints and surface artwork in Adobe Photoshop where required.
  • Create accurate technical flat sketches and detailed product design packages.
  • Build your understanding of designing across multiple product categories and brands, adapting your creative approach to suit different customers, collaborations and briefs.
  • Research consumer, cultural and market trends to inform each project's creative direction.

• Development and Critical Path Management

  • Help keep the Critical Path Development Calendar and design packages accurate and up to date, tracking amendments so agreed updates are completed on time.
  • Track, log and organise samples from prototypes and fit samples through to final products and help coordinate fit schedules with the design team.
  • Attend fittings and product reviews, accurately recording and actioning feedback.
  • Manage multiple priorities effectively, maintaining accuracy and meeting project deadlines.

• Communication and Collaboration

  • Work closely with Technical, Quality, Production, Merchandising and territory teams to ensure design intent and product details are fully understood.
  • Support communications and discussions with overseas offices, suppliers and factories on design details, technical comments and materials.
  • Participate in product reviews and feedback conversations with key stakeholders, sharing ideas to help simplify processes and improve efficiency.
  • Provide general creative, organisational and administrative support to the Special Projects team when required.

• Travel
  • Occasional support on overseas development trips and supplier or factory visits may be required you’ll need to be comfortable travelling internationally and hold valid travel documentation.

You Are

We are looking for someone who is creatively curious, highly organised and excited by the opportunity to work across a broad mix of products and projects.

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in Fashion, Product, Textile or Graphic Design or able to demonstrate equivalent skills through a strong portfolio and practical experience.
• Creatively aligned with Superdry's current identity and future direction, with a strong womenswear aesthetic and the flexibility to support menswear special projects.
• Able to show creative thinking, product development skills and technical drawing ability through a strong portfolio, including clear and accurate flat sketches.
• Building your understanding of garment construction, fit, fabrics, materials and finishes.
• Confident using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop an understanding of repeat print creation is a bonus, though not essential.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Teams), with strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Excellent at attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate files and information.
• A clear written and verbal communicator, able to take feedback positively and turn it into clear design actions.
• Proactive and collaborative happy to ask questions, take ownership of tasks and support others as part of a team.
• Calm and organised when priorities change, with a genuine desire to learn and develop across apparel, footwear, accessories, print and graphics.

Previous industry experience gained through a placement year, internship, freelance work or junior design position would be helpful, but it is not essential. We are particularly interested in your creative potential, portfolio, attitude and willingness to learn.

What You Can Expect

• Hands-on experience across the complete design and development process, working on varied Special Projects, collaborations and licensed brand opportunities.
• The chance to develop your skills across apparel, footwear, accessories, graphics and print.
• Relationships with teams, suppliers and creative partners in the UK and internationally, plus direct feedback and development from experienced designers and senior stakeholders.
• A fast-moving, encouraging team environment where creativity, initiative and new thinking are valued.

Working for Superdry has never been so rewarding…

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, we also offer a holiday buying scheme
• An additional day off to celebrate your Birthday
• Family is massively important to us, so we have a broad range of family-friendly working policies in place, including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Company Pension scheme
• All employees are covered by our Life Assurance policy whilst working at Superdry. We feel it’s important to offer protection for your family and loved ones in such a situation and to support this we offer life assurance cover which pays a lump sum equivalent either twice or four times your annual salary
• A big staff discount – naturally. Because we know that you love to wear Superdry, you’ll benefit from a 50% discount in store and online
• Our Head Office is home to our very own store for staff only where you can treat yourself to heavily discounted sample stock
• A health cash plan is open to all employees.
• Flexible working and core working hours between 10am – 4pm to help you achieve that all-important work-life balance
• Access to onsite parking and as part of our sustainable development goals, we have a selection of electrical car parking points freely available to staff.
• A range of learning and development materials to help you in your career and grow with us
• We like to give back, so we allow our employees time off for volunteering work
• A global employee assistance plan in place that you can access anytime you want - it’s free and confidential
• You’ll also have access to a Cycle To Work Scheme
• A range of local discounts with businesses across Gloucestershire

At Superdry, everyone has a voice and we want to hear it. We create environments where individuality can flourish and is celebrated as part of who we are as a brand. We’re incredibly proud that over 90% of our people feel strongly that they can be themselves at work.

We want to meet people with varied backgrounds because we understand that diversity of thought encourages new ideas to thrive, fuelling creativity and enabling us to do better work. We want to build a team which represents a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, and skills; we hire people based on their merit and potential.

We also welcome conversations about flexible working for all roles at Superdry and will always accommodate it where possible.

Please note that some jobs may be closed earlier than the published closing date if we get a high volume of applications. We therefore advise that you complete your application at your earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

Who we are

Superdry have been making world-class product for over 20 years, and we’re proud of it. Our mission is to inspire and engage the contemporary style-obsessed consumer, whilst leaving a positive environmental legacy.

Together with our CEO, we have built a brand that has cut through the global apparel market at record speed, taking market share from brands that have existed for decades. Our brand direction has never been stronger, evolving American Prep to resonate with a new generation of customers.

We are now on an exciting journey having reset our brand returning to our design-led roots and we are looking for talented people to join us.