Gift Design Manager

Lush; Poole; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 58,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

50% discount on Lush products

Cycle to work

Employee assistance programme

Wellbeing sessions

50% discount on spa treatments

Job summary

Lush Poole is seeking a Gift Design Manager to lead and develop the Gifts Design Team on a 15-month fixed-term contract. The role focuses on day-to-day leadership, workflow management and enabling designers to deliver outstanding gift collections.

We are looking for strong leadership, creative direction, and experience in coordinating budgets and licensing, with a pro-rata salary for 18–24 hours per week. Flexible days are available to fit the 18–24 hour schedule.

Qualifications

• Experience leading design teams within a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage budgets and processes up to £1,500.
• Strong collaboration with cross-functional teams to deliver design collections.

Responsibilities

• Line manage and develop the Gifts Design Team with clear objectives and career development.
• Oversee workflow planning and allocation to unblock projects.
• Ensure briefs are prioritized and delivered from inception to sign‑off.
• Build local artist relationships and source talent aligned with brand values.
• Uphold design excellence and provide creative direction when needed.

Skills

Leadership & People Development

Creative Operations

Design Direction

Community Engagement

Commercial & Operational

Adaptability & Communication

Job description

Gift Design Manager

Application Deadline: 28 September 2026

Department: Gift Design

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Part Time

Location: Poole - Unit 1

Compensation: £48,000 - £58,000 / year

Description

Contract: 15-month fixed-term contract
Hours: 18 - 24 hours per week, can be flexible on days
Salary: £48,000 - £58,000 annually, pro-rata

Diversity matters

We are building a brand that represents the people of the world. It’s what you do that counts, and we are always looking to expand perspectives and voices to shape our future.

We see you, we celebrate you, we want you!

Who we are

You might know us as the inventors of the bath bomb, but there’s more to this great-smelling, partly employee-owned, family-run company than pioneering cosmetics. We believe our business should put more back into the world than it takes and demonstrate that capitalism can be a force for good.

The Living Wage Foundation’s statement 'a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay' is one that we are proud to commit to in the UK. As an accredited Living Wage employer, we put our people first and fight cruel practices like animal testing, promote regeneration, and show that it is what’s inside that counts - whether that’s an ingredient in a product, or the minerals in a smartphone.

The role

The Design Manager is responsible for leading and developing the Gifts Design Team, ensuring a high-performing, collaborative and creatively ambitious environment. The role provides day-to-day leadership, supports creative excellence, manages workflow, and develops the team’s capability, enabling designers to deliver outstanding work that advances the Gifts strategy.

Want to see where a career at Lush could take you? Head over here to explore real stories of growth and development across the business.

Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive an overwhelming response or our business requirements change.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & People Management

• Line manage, coach, and develop the Gifts Design Team through regular feedback, clear objectives, and structured career development.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, holiday/sickness processes, and team capacity reviews alongside the Category Lead.
• Maintain an inclusive, highly collaborative culture focused on continuous learning and creative ambition.

Creative Operations & Workflow

• Oversee 18-hour part-time workflow planning and resource allocation in partnership with Creative Operations and the Lead Designer to eliminate project blockers.
• Ensure design briefs are prioritised, clear, and delivered efficiently from inception to final sign-off.
• Manage administrative creative processes, including budgets up to £1,500, design proofing, and copyright/licensing approvals (including cultural holiday projects and internal talent pool assignments).

Poole Community & External Artist Outreach

• Build and maintain relationships with local Poole artists and creative communities to source fresh talent aligned with brand values.
• Drive local collaborative projects by creating briefs, visiting local groups, and integrating community insights into collection developments.
• Oversee external artist submissions and identify local and global internship opportunities.

Creative Direction & Quality Governance

• Uphold design excellence and consistency across all gift outputs, stepping in with creative direction in the absence of the Creative Lead.
• Support design workshops, internal events, and inspiration trips, contributing hands-on design work for collections when capacity allows.
• Partner with Creative Operations to manage event logistics involving Gifts team representation.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Leadership & People Development: Proven track record in line management, coaching creative teams, and nurturing talent within a fast-paced design environment.
• Creative Operations & Project Management: Exceptional organisational skills with experience balancing design schedules, managing part-time capacity, and collaborating with operational leads.
• Design Excellence & Direction: Strong eye for visual design and collection development, with the confidence to provide constructive feedback, maintain brand standards, and direct work.
• Community Engagement & Sourcing: Passion for local arts outreach with experience networking, commissioning local talent, and managing creative partnerships/licensing.
• Commercial & Operational Acumen: Comfort managing small project budgets (up to £1,500), handling basic HR admin, and navigating copyright and licensing agreements.
• Adaptability & Communication: Excellent stakeholder management skills to represent the Gifts team at internal events, workshops, and global open calls.

We'd love to see your work! Please include any portfolio or website links in your personal summary.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• 6 months of full pay for parental leave (primary caregiver must qualify for SMP)*
• Enhanced paternity leave*
• Bonus scheme
• Day off for weekday birthdays
• Holiday purchase scheme
• 50% discount on Lush products and spa treatments
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted rail and bus season tickets
• Employee assistance programme
• There’s a big difference between "Flexible Working " (the legal minimum) and working flexibly. What that looks like varies from role to role and location to location. We actively welcome conversations about what working flexibly could mean and look like for you.
• We’re 10% Employee Owned - all colleagues play a role in protecting our ethics, our independence, contributing ideas for the future and share in the rewards of success when the company is doing well.
• Wellbeing & mindfulness sessions
• Access to employee-led Community Networks, including Disability and Chronic Illness, Family Support, Global Majority (Race and Ethnicity), LGBTQIA+, Menopause and Neurodiversity communities.
• Tailored gender affirming care*

Qualifying period/hours required*

We believe that your information is yours and that it is Lush's responsibility to process your personal information in a secure, fair and accurate manner. Every individual processed by LUSH has certain rights over their data, which are detailed in our Privacy Notice here.