Designer - Furniture

Sainsbury's; Coventry; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer seeks a C4 GM Furniture Designer in Coventry to create innovative product ranges that reflect market trends. The role involves managing design processes, collaborating with suppliers, and mentoring junior colleagues. Candidates must demonstrate a strong portfolio, relevant design experience, and excellent communication skills within a fast-paced retail environment.

Benefits

Colleague discount

Pension scheme

Life cover

Performance-related bonus

Annual holiday allowance

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Recent relevant design experience in product design.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and working with suppliers.
• Ability to deliver results under pressure in a retail environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage product development from concept to launch.
• Design commercial and functional product aspects.
• Mentor junior team members and support senior designers.

Skills

Creativity

Communication

Organizational skills

Market awareness

Education

Relevant design qualifications

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Job description

C4 GM Furniture Designer

You’ll be delivering inspirational designs that support the values of the category vision and ambition. Manage relationships with suppliers and the design teams behind the suppliers to create original, exclusive product.

You will be a manager and a mentor to junior members of the team, supporting the Senior Designer by owning your category and developing others. An experienced eye for delivering key seasonal trends will be second nature ensuring your ranges are full of newness. With a skilled hand in delivering innovative and commercial designs for a broad range of customer types.

As well as being a good communicator capable of representing the team in front of key stakeholders, you’ll manage your time effectively ensuring deadlines are always met.

In a nutshell

To support and assist the senior designer, whilst having responsibility for the creation and development of successful product ranges, adhering to current trends, customer needs and convenience, meeting KPI’s of sales, profit and market share. Management and development of an assistant where relevant.

What I need to do

• To design commercial, competitive, quality and functional aspects of the product using creativity and effective translation of customer needs into deliverable product attributes in line with relevant legislation and Sainsbury’s policies.
• Input creativity within the team to share innovation, product trend and lifestyle
• Manage the development of the product from concept design to launch, liaising with product technologists and buyers ensuring that the critical path targets are met.
• In conjunction with the buyer & product technologist, identify new products and accountability for product fit for purpose and delivering design packs right first time.
• Adhere to safety, quality and legal requirements, regularly engaging with the technical & legal teams.
• Support quality standard requirements set to maintain clear differences in quality to our competitors.
• Coach the Assistant Designer where appropriate and to grow talent and identify potential.
• Utilise analysis of market data to inform design decisions
• Have a strong awareness of market trends and competitor ranges, and be able to produce commercial and relevant trends each season for the Sainsbury’s customer
• Produce design packs to an agreed standard and level in line with the critical path
• Produce direct product development with oversees supply base (SAAL)
• Assist the senior designers with the strategic direction for design department
• Bought sample direction
• Formulating concept, colour and trend boards for presentations and meetings
• Responsible for the creation of project briefs
• Communicating all Design specs to relevant suppliers in line with the critical path
• Responsible for upkeep of design/artwork files
• Responsible for maintenance and update of colour/theme/trend and bay boards for relevant meetings
• Working with external designers, communicating with SAAL (Sainsburys Argos Asia Limited) and suppliers when required.
• Assist with preparation for selection, sign-off, review and trading meetings
• Liaise with the key stakeholders ahead of selection and sign off meetings
• Visit stores, trade fairs and press shows where appropriate and compile reports to distribute to the wider team.
• Conduct competitor shop reports and update on internet fashions and feedback to team
• Creative input – have an excellent eye for colour and trend with an ability to create artworks and palettes
• Attending weekly trade meetings.
• Represent the design team at graduate shows and events that Sainsbury’s Argos Home engage with externally.
• Ensuring PR & Marketing have all the correct assets to tell the story behind each range.
• Mentor graduate work placements

How I will succeed

• Deliver financial and commercial targets (KPI’s) by designing successful product
• Continually improves market share and position of product categories
• Right product and right trends at the right time, in line with the market
• Demonstrates a passion for the brand, product category with clear focus on the customer

What I need to know

• Recent relevant design experience in a comparable product design and development role
• Relevant technical experience for given product range/ knowledge of manufacturing processes and working with suppliers
• Understanding of commercial issues and proven creative ability
• Customer and Market knowledge
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast moving dynamic retail environment
• Ability to deliver results as an individual and within a team
• Confidence to influence and engage, building relationships with key stakeholders
• Effective communicator, presenter, and team player
• Strong organisational, planning and executing skills
• Commercial Product knowledge
• Demonstrates a passion for the Sainsbury’s brand and clear focus on the customer
• Computer literate with the ability to use Photoshop and Illustrator to a competent standard
• Ability to use 3D software if working on a hardgoods area is beneficial.
• Up to date knowledge of retail and consumer trends
• Critical path management

What I need to show

• A strong portfolio of relevant design work
• Ability to build relationships with key stakeholders
• Identifies problems and uses knowledge to develop practical solutions
• Takes advantage of every opportunity to communicate relevant information and is always approachable and visible
• Open to trying new ideas or ways of doing things
• Ensuring customer feedback is used to influence decisions made
• Manages open and honest conversations and acts on feedback
• Identifies missing opportunities and implements within product category
• Uses processes to get results and recognising when to go outside of the process when the issue requires it
• Team working skills
• To be articulate and a good communicator in the team environment.
• Cross functional working

Resources available to me

• Design Systems support and relevant training
• Guidance and objective setting from line manager
• Opportunity to attend trading, studio and supplier meetings where relevant
• Assistant Designer where relevant
• Adobe Creative Cloud Packages & 3D software .

What decisions I can make

• Input in divisional / departmental design direction and strategy
• Delivery of design packs for the wider business and suppliers
• Accountability for involvement in range and product design

#LI-MB1

Qualifications

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:

Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 10% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an employee assistance programme.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).

Responsibilities

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. From fragrance to car care, clothing and pots and pans, our General Merchandise team delivers all the non-food items for Sainsbury’s, Habitat and Argos customers. This multi-brand environment means you get to work across most areas. You can also be a pioneer, because the team believes in being brave, iterating and learning as they go. They also develop deep connections to other departments, which opens up a lot of different career opportunities for you. What’s certain is that you’ll spend time on the shop floor to get closer to customers, and bring a broad perspective and the full support of your manager with you wherever you decide to develop next.