Job Description
Due to ongoing growth, my client is looking for a Senior Designer who can enable design teams to plan and deliver the design development strategy for specific brands.
This is a fashion jewellery brand for the UK High Street so price points are low and you must be able to design commercial jewellery, this is not a role for a fine jewellery designer.
NB: This role is based in Essex
Main responsibilities will include:
- Accountable for design of commercial collection from concept to end product
- Has extensive commercial acumen, able to take accountability for a financial plan
- Highly effective influencing skills builds ranges that achieve a buy of greater than 50%.
- Works to build long term partnerships with suppliers
- Manage and deliver the financial plan for the brand, adhering to budgets and maintaining appropriate cost controls.
- Actively monitor trading across the brand and react to sales, making timely decisions and seeking new selling opportunities to maximise revenue and profitability from each season.
- Identify gaps in the market and react quickly to emerging trends
- Build strong customer relationships and develop innovative and original ranges with strong sensitivity to material and colour.
- Ensure collections meet the customer profile and brand identity
- Lead in creating & designing innovative, original designs and concepts, applying techniques, applications and ideas that translate into complete ranges for buyers.
- Take responsibility for leading first look mood boards and original inspiration themes, through colour, trend, handmade samples and design sheets.
- Sign off range boards, having received feedback from relevant parties.
- Closely manage the development of each range for the brand, working with all relevant functions, staying close to the detail and resolving design specification queries.
- Manage and implement key activities in the 'critical path' to ensure design compliance for all products and ranges.
- Undertake competition shops to ensure knowledge of brand positioning and customer profile remain current.
- Research collate and deliver trend reports and presentations
- Oversee process for sourcing relevant materials to meet design requirements and for identifying suitable supplier for each project, from first sample production stage, sample amendments, second samples through to bulk orders.
Person specification:
- Ideally educated to degree level or equivalent in jewellery or accessories degree.
- Competent Adobe suit skills and good working ability with Microsoft office suit.
- Sound commercial acumen, trading experience and a good ability to understand and interpret financial data.
- Creative flare, with at least 4. years FASHION JEWELLERY design experience
- Competent hand making skills - construction of buying samples.
- Awareness of Far East suppliers and jewellery production processes.
- Good developed understanding of the retail market, fashion trends and brand positioning.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate competently and clearly.
- Strong organisational and task management skills, with the ability to prioritise and work in a fast moving reactive business with multiple deadlines. Ability to design across multiple brands and work under pressure/tight deadlines
