Menswear Design Manager

Reporting to:

Co-Founder and Head of Menswear

Role Overview:

Responsible for driving the Menswear design department forward. This position is still a creative role, so the ideal candidate will be comfortable with both producing high-quality design as well as leading our talented team of in-house designers and freelancers. You’ll work closely with our Merchandising and Product Development teams and regularly liaise with our Head Of Menswear.

Responsibilities: 

Leadership Responsibilities, including:

• Set overall design direction to create designs that support market trends and the overall creative line of the brand
• Integrating design work amongst broader menswear brand strategy
• Manage a team of designers and freelancers
• Coaching and growing team members to be great designers and deliver outstanding results
• Project and Product Category delegation within the team; supporting Head of Menswears vision for each individual to be accountable for their own categories/collections
• Create and manage own internal department meeting schedule
• Maintaining strong working relationships with other departments
• Establish strong communication channel with Womenswear Design

Manages the design process, including:

• Alongside team members, researches and creates moodboards to identify new trends
• Develops ideas for ranges and keeping best sellers in mind
• Sources fabrics and trims with factories
• Manages and mentors the team, ensuring clear briefing on work and working with them to continually improve and produce the best output
• Create CADs
• Initiate new branding development with factories
• Initiate close collaboration with the social team, organising regular brainstorming sessions and touch points to collate new ideas and feedback on design ranges for further development. Social Team input into the design process is key and what sets Jaded apart

Manages the technical process, including:

• Attend fit sessions
• Help send out fit comments where needed and to meet deadline
• Keep abreast of customer feedback relating to fit and fabrication, etc.

General office and design duties including:

• Organising factory visits, including booking flights, creating itinerary etc
• Attend trade meetings and any other meetings as requested by Co-Founder & Head of Menswear
• Managing organisation of new samples, ensuring Junior Designer and Design Assistant keep fabric swatches, trim samples etc, arranged neatly and effectively
• Managing Garment Techs organisation of fit samples in fit department

Requirements

• 5 years industry experience
• Proven track record of setting a creative tone that inspires ideas/new concepts
• Excellent communication skills
• Comfortable presenting in director-level settings
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office, CAD, Photoshop, Adobe & Illustrator
• Confidence and ability to work at pace, creating sketched CADs and technical drawings for factories, setting-up print placements for factories
• Ability to manage the team and their workload to multiple deadlines
• Identifies development objectives for the team, supports them to make improvements and ensures a high standard of work produced
• Trend-focused with an eye for detail
• Capable of working autonomously and making strong creative decisions
• Flexible working approach, diligent and able to adapt to the needs of the team
• Great understanding of the Jaded London brand and customer 
• Strong Team player and passionate for the brand and its success

Benefits

• 50% Employee Discount
• 24 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays)
• A paid day off on your birthday
• A paid moving day per year
• Hybrid Working Arrangements - 1 day per week WFH
• Pension Scheme (3% Jaded, 4% You)
• Bonus Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family
• £500 employee referral bonus scheme
• Local Business Discounts (cafés, fitness, beauty etc)
• North-West London office location directly located next to good transport links
• Casual office dress code (your style of dress is up to you, wear what you feel best in)
• Fully-stocked kitchens and fridges (hello endless brekkie and snack supply, see ya afternoon munchies)
• Regular Office Social Events (e.g. payday socials)