Senior Designer - Kids

Clarks group; Street; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/hybrid work

Career development

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Clarks in Somerset seeks a senior footwear designer to create seasonal product designs and prototypes, shaping gender lines and driving design strategy across regions. You will develop colour and material boards, briefs, and collaboration with PLM/Pod teams to manage workload and timeliness.

You will mentor the gender design team, collaborate with freelance resources, and present concepts to stakeholders. The role offers flexible/hybrid working, development opportunities, and a culture of

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of Clarks product development processes
• In depth knowledge of shoemaking process
• Thorough knowledge of lasts and units/out soles
• In depth experience of the design process and product briefing
• Good sourcing knowledge
• Excellent understanding of the Clarks brand collection strategy
• In-depth knowledge of the Clarks consumer
• Thorough knowledge of product costing
• Shoemaking process
• High levelof product development skills
• Wide ranging experience in footwear design
• Working to a determined timeline
• Proven creative ability
• Support developing others in design skills/development of trainingprogrammes
• High level technical appreciation of all footwear constructions
• Design specification packs - ability to expertly interpret and review blueprints
• High level skill in design software
• Expert knowledge of Leather and materials
• Ability to collaborate at all levels
• Good communicationskills both verbally and in writing
• Strong influencing and interpersonal skills
• Team leader
• Inspirational
• Customer and consumer focus
• Drive
• Time management andprioritisation
• Coaching
• Team player
• Ability to collaborate at all levels

Responsibilities

• Create seasonal product designs and prototypes meeting design briefs for key product groups.
• Develop colour and material boards to drive the line look.
• Collaborate with PLM/Pod Team to prioritise and distribute seasonal design workload.
• Present product concepts to stakeholders to influence decisions.
• Mentor the gender design team and support training and career progression.
• Work with sources to develop samples and prototypes within timelines.
• Collaborate with freelance/outside resources as directed to meet briefs and budget.

Skills

Shoemaking process

Design software

Brand strategy

Communication skills

Team leadership

Time management

Collaboration

Coaching

Influencing

Creativity

Job description

Location: Street, Somerset

About the role:

Creation of seasonal product designs and prototypes to meet requirements of design briefs for key product groups, working on new constructions driving the shape of the seasonal gender lines. The development of off-line, conceptual product designs aimed at delivering thelong termdesign strategy driving gender lines forward. All designs and developments delivered meet the requirements of product differentiation and brand and collection proposition in all three regions and for the collection of the Clarks targeted consumer

• Work closely to developcolourand material boards to drive the look and shape of the line.
• Research design themes and concepts todeterminebrand and collection interpretation and key looks feeding back to Product Management team.
• Gender strategy intogenderdesign team.
• Working with PLM/Pod Teamestablishprioritisationand distribution of seasonal design workload.
• Collaborate to select new materials/leathers.
• Finalise seasonal design briefs with the line/ PLM ensuring they meet both collection and design strategy.
• Design creative product briefs to meet thecollectionsrequirements for the consumer, commercial aspects of the brief, as well as Brand proposition.
• Develop last and unit/outsole designs in collaboration with product engineers, last specialists/ CAD.
• Work with product development and sources to develop initial design concepts to prototype stage.
• Develop and maintain briefing packs for sources/product development forcreationof prototypes.
• Work with sources to develop a line of samples to meet the line review timelines
• Present product concepts to key stakeholders to effectively influence decision making.
• Help manage adherence to design/development timelines of collection design team.
• Drivecolourand materials mix within thelinechallenging established formulas.
• Mentor the development of gender design teamestablishingtraining requirements and coaching key skill areas. Help support career progressionplantogether with BUD and range managers.
• Work on off-line, cross gender conceptual design projects, aimed at driving shape/structure of the line for the future.
• Collaborate with freelance/outside designresourceas directed by PLM todeliver againstdesign briefrequirements to budget.
• Comprehensive set of product boards to present to BUD/range managers with timetabled updates to complement therangebuild requirements.
• Gender design teamfullyengaged and enthused with seasonal collection and design strategies.
• Concise briefs are developed to deliver both the design and line requirements.
• On time delivery of product designs and prototypes by gender design team which meet brief requirements.
• Clear and concise briefing to sources delivering effective interpretation of designs
• Samples are available for line review process on time.
• Lines reflect the season'scolour/materials palette challenging previously established formulas, delivering commercial and exciting product packages.
• Lines reflect the season's key looks for the Clarks consumer, supporting existing product groups and introducing new directional design concepts/product categories.
• Gender design team skills are as planned and meet resource plans. Successful career progression plans in place for all levels of design.
• Industry leading, cross gender, innovative/conceptual design projectsdeliversagainst brand/design strategy requirements.
• Line reflects clear brand identity.
• Freelance design work meets all brief/brand collection requirements within budget.

About You

• Thorough understanding of Clarks product development processes
• In depth knowledge of shoemaking process
• Thorough knowledge of lasts and units/out soles
• In depth experience of the design process and product briefing
• Good sourcing knowledge
• Excellent understanding of the Clarks brand collection strategy
• In-depth knowledge of the Clarks consumer
• Thorough knowledge of product costing
• Shoemaking process
• High levelof product development skills
• Wide ranging experience in footwear design
• Working to a determined timeline
• Proven creative ability
• Support developing others in design skills/development of trainingprogrammes
• High level technical appreciation of all footwear constructions
• Design specification packs - ability to expertly interpret and review blueprints
• High level skill in design software
• Expert knowledge of Leather and materials
• Ability to collaborate at all levels
• Good communicationskills both verbally and in writing
• Strong influencing and interpersonal skills
• Team leader
• Inspirational
• Customer and consumer focus
• Drive
• Time management andprioritisation
• Coaching
• Team player
• Ability to collaborate at all levels

What We Offer

• Flexible/hybrid working options
• Career development and progression opportunities
• Supportive and collaborative culture

At Clarks, you'll be part of a brand with heritage, craftsmanship, and style at its core. We offer great training, career progression, and the chance to make your mark in a global business.

About Clarks

Clarks, based in Somerset, England, has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825 when brothers James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts. At the time, it was ground-breaking: a combination of invention and craftsmanship that has remained at the heart of what the brand does now. In the Clarks archive, more than 22,000 pairs of shoes have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and launched in 1950, to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognisable signature that makes it unmistakably Clarks.

Disclaimer

This document describes the general nature and level of work only. It is not designed to cover an exhaustive list of all skills, activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Other activities, duties, and responsibilities may be added at any time. This description may be changed at the company's discretion at any time, with or without notice.