Design Manager – Private Label

French Selection (FS); Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

French Selection in Manchester is seeking a Design Manager to lead the design and development of private-label collections for major retailers. You will manage customer accounts and projects from concept to production, working with sales, sourcing and manufacturing teams.

Hybrid role with 3 days in the office and 2 days from home. The role requires strong leadership, UK supermarket experience, and a track record in fashion or textile design with a focus on trends and commercial viability.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in textile, fashion or product design.
• Design Manager, Senior Designer or similar leadership experience
• Essential: previous experience working with UK supermarkets
• High-street and fashion-led retail experience highly desirable
• Strong customer-facing and presentation skills
• Strong print, pattern, colour and textile knowledge
• Licensed or branded product experience advantageous
• Excellent Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills
• Good understanding of product development and manufacturing
• Commercially aware with an understanding of retail price points
• Trend-focused, creative and confident
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Personable, collaborative and confident managing a team

Responsibilities

• Lead design and product development for key retail customers
• Develop seasonal concepts, prints, patterns, colour palettes and collections
• Translate customer briefs into commercially successful products
• Present concepts and collections to customers
• Manage licensed and branded projects
• Research fashion, lifestyle and retail trends
• Manage projects from concept through to production
• Review samples, lab dips, strike-offs and approvals
• Work closely with sourcing, product development and manufacturing teams
• Lead and support designers in the UK and India
• Identify new product, design and sustainability opportunities
• Travel in the UK and internationally as required

Skills

Design leadership

Customer-facing skills

Trend & concept development

Project management

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Maternity cover 9 months with potential to become permanent

Location: Manchester

Hybrid work: 3 days in the office, 2 days from home

Ref: 757BD

Website: www.french-selection.co.uk

A fast-growing international design and manufacturing business supplying private-label products to major UK and European supermarket, high-street and fashion-led retailers.

Lead the design and product development of private-label collections, managing customer accounts and projects from concept to production while supporting designers and working with sales, sourcing and manufacturing teams.

The role:

• Lead design and product development for key retail customers
• Develop seasonal concepts, prints, patterns, colour palettes and collections
• Translate customer briefs into commercially successful products
• Present concepts and collections to customers
• Manage licensed and branded projects
• Research fashion, lifestyle and retail trends
• Manage projects from concept through to production
• Review samples, lab dips, strike-offs and approvals
• Work closely with sourcing, product development and manufacturing teams
• Lead and support designers in the UK and India
• Identify new product, design and sustainability opportunities
• Travel in the UK and internationally as required

The candidate:

• Solid experience in textile, fashion or product design
• Design Manager, Senior Designer or similar leadership experience
• Essential: previous experience working with UK supermarkets
• High-street and fashion-led retail experience highly desirable
• Strong customer-facing and presentation skills
• Strong print, pattern, colour and textile knowledge
• Licensed or branded product experience advantageous
• Excellent Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills
• Good understanding of product development and manufacturing
• Commercially aware with an understanding of retail price points
• Trend-focused, creative and confident
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Personable, collaborative and confident managing a team

The salary:

£40,000–£45,000 per annum, depending on experience.