Development & Studio Assistant

Margaret Howell; City Of London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A contemporary British clothing designer is seeking a highly organised individual to assist their Development team in London. This role includes managing the design studio, preparing samples for various events, maintaining product information systems, and ensuring compliance with deadlines. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication skills and a keen attention to detail. The position offers generous holiday and staff benefits.

Benefits

5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays

Generous clothing allowance

Staff discount

Life insurance

Pension scheme

Personal development grant

Cycle to work scheme

Birthday day off

Volunteering day off

IVF and fertility leave

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency using different systems with excellent data management skills.
• Highly organised and efficient in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in a similar role at assistant or intern level is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Organise day-to-day activities of the design studio.
• Maintain accurate product information across systems.
• Prepare samples for various meetings and sessions.

Skills

Strong verbal and written communication

Proficient in Microsoft Office

Excellent attention to detail

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Understanding of garment measuring

Problem-solving abilities

Interest in sustainability

Tools

Microsoft Excel

SAP

WFX

Job description

We are seeking the support of a highly organised and efficient individual to assist the Development team in delivery of seasonal collections. This key role will be responsible for physical sample and studio organisation. This position is the a perfect opportunity for someone who is interested in a career in product development and is excited about supporting our team across all product areas and lines, so that critical path deadlines and company targets can be met.

Margaret Howell is a contemporary British clothing designer who has worked successfully in men’s and women’s clothing for over five decades. Today, Margaret Howell clothes are sold worldwide with 11 own shops in Europe, over 100 outlets in Japan and an established online business

Main Duties

• Responsible for day-to-day organisation of the design studio; accepting and allocating deliveries, booking DHL and couriers, running errands, providing refreshments for meetings and ensuring supplies are stocked
• Maintain a tidy and organised studio environment
• Monitor and organise sample stock status, booking in samples using SAP system, and allocating appropriately
• Support in the creation and maintenance of accurate product information across systems including WFX, SAP and Excel plans
• Prepare NCI and standard shipment invoices and packing lists, ensuring all customs requirements are met and making stock transfers on SAP system as and when required
• Organise yarn and fabric cards from spinners and mills. Send out lab dips and developments as requested. Raise sample orders for yarn swatches, and fabric development costs and yarn sample orders
• Support Fabric Coordinator on technical care sheets, creation of fabric hangers, production files and other fabric swatch requirements
• Prepare for fitting sessions, allocating, assisting in measuring all samples, preparing notes and flagging any quality or make request discrepancies.
• Preparing sample collections for a variety of needs; styling & casting sessions, lookbook shoots, wholesale meetings, collection review meetings, ensuring samples are presented accurately and in good condition. Steaming, changing trim and labels where necessary, and any other preparations required.
• Set up graded spec templates and liaise with grader for final checks and changes
• Clear and store old season and dropped samples appropriately, maintaining an organised seasonal turnover system
• Prepare samples, fabric and yarn swatches and any other required information for shipment to TSI, Japan, packing neatly and labelling accurately to match invoices
• Other tasks as required, in assistance to the PD team, to ensure business needs are met
• Includes style set up, item attributes, preferential origin, product risk assessment, shipping and labelling data requirements, compositions, weights, commodity codes, BOMs, visual range plans, pattern plans, supplier fabric plans, range plan updates, updating SAP records for Open PO & GRNI

Requirements

• Strong verbal and written communication in English
• Strong proficiency using different systems, including Microsoft Office (including Excel), PLM and ERP, with excellent data management skills
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring data accuracy and able to handle
• Ability to work to deadlines, ensuring timely completion of workload
• Highly organised and efficient, can manage multiple priorities and work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Confident handling and preparing garments and accessories, with understanding of garment measuring and quality review
• Ability to problem solve, quickly addressing studio and administrative challenges
• Interest in sustainability and ethical compliance, and driven to meet targets
• Experience in a similar role, at an assistant or intern level, is beneficial

What you'll get

• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays, increasing to 6 weeks with service
• Generous clothing allowance
• Significant staff discount
• Life insurance
• Contributory pension and salary exchange scheme
• Personal development grant
• Cycle to work scheme
• Birthday day off
• Volunteering day off
• IVF and fertility leave