Design Manager, Womenswear

River Island Clothing Co., Ltd.; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fashion retailer in London is seeking a Design Manager for Womenswear. The role involves leading design initiatives, managing a team of designers, and ensuring alignment with commercial goals. Ideal candidates should possess advanced design skills, a history of developing talent, and strong market awareness. The position offers a permanent, full-time employment with various perks including a staff discount and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

50% staff discount

Free onsite gym

Flexible working arrangements

Generous bonus scheme

25 days paid holiday

Qualifications

• Substantial Design experience with a track record of excellence.
• Ability to connect design results with positive commercial outputs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape the vision for your categories.
• Deliver excellence in design through effective leadership.
• Manage design resources to drive best outcomes.

Skills

Advanced technical and creative design skills

Strong track record of developing others

Commercially savvy

Excellent organizational skills

Job description

Design Manager, Womenswear

Department: Womenswear

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

Reporting To: EMMA ROSSI DESIGN DIRECTOR

Description

Our Design Team deliver stand‑out, affordable fashion with the unique style and touches that underpin the River Island handwriting. As a Design Manager, you’ll lead and shape the vision and direction for your categories, taking overall accountability for the delivery of newness and design excellence. Outstanding market, industry and commercial awareness will ensure your team delivers on trend, balanced ranges which deliver our commercial goals. You’ll hold the relationships with your counterparts in the business, and ensure alignment of the Design agenda to those of the whole Product function and business priorities. You’ll lead a team of talented Designers, enabling them to give their best.

Key Accountabilities

Product Design

• Delivering excellence in design for your categories, from concept to completion through the critical path, making the best choices on fabric, engineering, fit and quality to ensure our products look the best they can for the level of the market
• Deliver excellence in design through effective leadership of your team, creating the right conditions and equipping them to succeed and thrive
• Through consistently up to date market and industry knowledge, setting and leading the direction for your design team, ensuring they are aware throughout the season of key trends, items, fabrics, styles and colours, and their designs are on brand
• Holding the relationships with the Buying Managers, ensuring opportunities and potential upsides are assessed and balanced, creating focus and direction for the Design teams
• Effectively managing your design resources, balancing creativity with focus to ensure time and resources are prioritised to drive the best design outcomes
• Holding accountability for decisions that deliver the commercial outcomes without compromising the delivery of excellence in design
• Understand sales history, sales and margin targets and range plans across both your own area of countability and more broadly across all divisions to ensure designs are aligned to deliver on commercial opportunities
• Identifying and supporting projects within the broader RI community, using creative skills to deliver improvements for the benefit of the Product function and wider RI business
• Advocating for, and creating a destination for upcoming design talent; identifying, coaching, training, nurturing and mentoring future talent

Key experience required

• Substantial Design experience, with a solid track record of delivering excellence in Design and commercial results
• Strong track record of developing others to fulfil their potential

Job role competencies

• Advanced technical and creative design skills
• Well‑connected and networked in the broad market and industry
• Possesses broad industry knowledge as well as in‑depth specialist marketplace knowledge for your area of accountability
• Commercially savvy, able to connect great results in Design with positive commercial outputs
• Excellent organisational skills, planful and intentional with your time
• High level of emotional intelligence and self‑management
• Excellent management skills, able to understand individual needs and flex approach to support individuals to reach their potential and overcome challenges
• Highly attentive of interpersonal dynamics and builds strong, genuine relationships with peers
• Purposeful, tenacious and resilient
• Passionate about the RI brand and customer
• Forward thinking, innovative, pushing boundaries and driving for excellence
• Collaborative approach, uses relationships and strong cross‑functional networks to get things done

About Us

We’re a much‑loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London.

What we can offer you

• 💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
• 🛒 Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through Reward Gateway!
• 🎉 A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
• 🤎 Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
• 💻 Flexible working is a given, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
• 💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
• 🎓 Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
• 💰 A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
• 🩺 The choice to opt in for healthcare through our provider AXA.
• 🚗 An allowance supporting your commute to work.
• ☀️ 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!

Keeping You Safe

At River Island we are committed to the safeguarding of all of our employees regardless of age or job role. We will fulfil our obligation under the Prevent duty which seeks to stop extremism and extremist views from materialising in our business. We promote and encourage the belief in British Values- including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. To find out more, visit www.gov.uk.

Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise. To find out more about this interview process, check out our hiring process below.