Lead Design Manager - General Merchandise

Tesco; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus up to 20%

Flexible working

Private medical insurance

Job summary

Tesco Lead Design Manager role shaping the creative future of Tesco's General Merchandise. You will lead the vision for Seasonal Events, Paperchase, Go Cook and Papershop, delivering distinctive customer experiences and a cohesive brand identity.

You will inspire and develop a high-performing design team, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on leadership, while partnering closely with Category Directors and cross-functional teams to drive commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior creative or design leadership roles.
• Proven success delivering brand, product and category design strategies.
• Experience leading large-scale campaigns and customer propositions.
• Strong track record of building and developing high-performing creative teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the creative vision for General Merchandise, delivering distinctive, customer-led design.
• Translate customer needs and market trends into compelling product propositions.
• Transform seasonal events and moments with engaging customer experiences and strong brand identity.
• Lead and develop a high-performing design team, coaching and giving feedback to raise creative standards.
• Collaborate with Category Directors and cross-functional partners to align outputs with commercial strategy.

Skills

Senior leadership

Brand development

Visual storytelling

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Job description

About the role

As the Lead Design Manager, you'll shape the creative future of Tesco's General Merchandise business. In this high‑profile role, you'll lead the vision and direction for some of our most loved and distinctive categories, including Seasonal Events, Paperchase, Go Cook and Papershop, creating inspiring customer experiences that stand out. You'll combine creativity with commercial insight to elevate brand identity, product storytelling and design excellence across every customer touchpoint.

You will be responsible for

• Define and lead the creative vision for General Merchandise, delivering distinctive, customer‑led design that strengthens brand perception and drives commercial performance.
• Champion insight‑led innovation by translating customer needs, market trends and cultural shifts into compelling product, category and seasonal propositions.
• Transform the execution of key seasonal events and trading moments, creating engaging customer experiences that increase theatre, emotional connection and impact.
• Own the creative direction across Seasonal Events, Paperchase, Go Cook, Papershop & Stationery and Practical Home, ensuring clear differentiation and a cohesive brand identity.
• Strengthen Tesco's "famous for" categories through outstanding creative leadership, delivering market‑leading products, ranges and customer propositions.
• Lead the development of category‑defining products and hero ranges, balancing strategic thinking with hands‑on creative direction.
• Inspire, lead and develop a high‑performing design team, fostering a culture of creativity, inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Provide coaching, direction and constructive feedback to enhance capability, elevate creative standards and support individual growth.
• Build strong partnerships with Category Directors, Category Managers and cross‑functional stakeholders to align creative output with commercial and customer strategies.
• Collaborate effectively with Design, Marketing, Brand, Packaging, Store Experience and supplier partners to deliver integrated and consistent customer experiences.
• Influence and challenge stakeholders at all levels through credible creative expertise, strong communication and clear decision‑making.
• Lead the end‑to‑end design process from concept to execution, ensuring the highest standards of visual identity, storytelling and brand expression.
• Drive innovation through effective supplier partnerships, identifying opportunities to enhance quality, differentiation and value.
• Manage resources, budgets and priorities effectively to deliver creative objectives on time and within agreed parameters.
• Ensure all creative outputs deliver measurable customer, brand and commercial outcomes while supporting broader business objectives.

You will need

• Significant experience in senior creative or design leadership roles
• Proven success delivering brand, product and category design strategies
• Experience leading large‑scale campaigns and customer propositions
• Strong track record of building and developing high‑performing creative teams
• Expertise in brand development, visual storytelling and customer experience design
• Strong understanding of consumer trends and insights
• Experience managing end‑to‑end design and product development
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and work cross‑functionally
• Experience managing agencies, suppliers and creative partners
• Strong project, budget and resource management skills
• Excellent communication, presentation and storytelling abilities
• A portfolio demonstrating excellence in brand, product and retail design
• Ability to combine strategic thinking with hands‑on creative leadership in a fast‑paced environment

Whats in it for you?

We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work.

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary.
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays).
• Private medical insurance.
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (12 months service required at the qualifying date) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave.
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing.

The above information is a shortened summary, refer to our policies for full details.

About Us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award‑winning mobile network. Truth is, we're all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. That's why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.

When you join us in this role, you'll be employed by Tesco Stores Limited, the Tesco legal entity responsible for your employment.