Senior Design Manager

Senior Design Manager

Full Time | Fixed-Term Contract (1218 Months)
Starting September 2026
Up to £38,000 per annum

Lead the future of product design.

We're looking for an experienced and inspiring design leader to join our business on a 1218 month fixed-term contract to cover maternity leave.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead an established Design and Product Development function. Reporting to the Design Director, you'll provide day-to-day leadership while playing a key role in shaping future product direction and ensuring products are successfully developed from concept through to production.

This is far more than a management role. We're looking for someone who enjoys being hands-on, thrives on solving product challenges and is passionate about developing commercially successful collections. You'll work closely with Product Development, Marketing and Commercial teams to ensure products are delivered to the highest possible standards.

What will you do?

As Senior Design Manager, you'll lead the design workflow and Product Development teams, ensuring projects move efficiently from concept through to production while balancing creativity, commerciality and operational excellence.

You'll:

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the Product Development teams, setting priorities, providing direction and supporting colleagues to deliver outstanding results.
• Support the Design Director by providing day-to-day leadership across the Design and Product Development areas, ensuring continuity, effective decision-making and the successful delivery of key projects.
• Take ownership of the end-to-end design and development of seasonal collections, customer projects and new product opportunities, producing detailed technical specifications, garment packs, construction details and product documentation to ensure concepts are successfully translated into production-ready products.
• Work closely with Technical & Product Development to ensure products are commercially viable and ready for manufacture.
• Champion a right-first-time approach to product development, reducing unnecessary sampling, rework and delays.
• Lead regular planning meetings to monitor workloads, priorities, risks and project timelines.
• Build strong collaborative relationships across Design, Technical, Manufacturing, Commercial and Marketing teams.
• Act as the first point of escalation for design-related product quality issues, working collaboratively to identify practical solutions.

Who you are?

We're looking for an experienced design leader who combines creativity with commercial awareness and enjoys developing both products and people. Experience within knitwear would be highly desirable as this is a growing area of our business, although we'll also consider candidates with a strong background in premium apparel or fashion design.

You'll ideally have:

Significant experience within fashion, apparel or knitwear design, with knitwear experience highly desirable.

Strong knowledge of garment design, technical specifications, product development and the full product lifecycle.

Excellent understanding of fashion manufacturing processes.

Experience managing multiple projects and seasonal critical paths, with the ability to prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.

Strong technical knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, yarns and product development processes.

Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage your own workload whilst coordinating the activities of others.

A collaborative approach, with the ability to build strong working relationships across Design, Technical, Quality, Commercial and Marketing teams.

Strong communication skills with the confidence to challenge constructively, solve problems and influence decisions.

Experience supporting, mentoring or coordinating others within a design team.

A passion for innovation, continuous improvement and creating high-quality products.

Commercial awareness and an understanding of how great product design contributes to business performance and customer satisfaction.

Why Join Us?

This is an excellent opportunity to step into a senior design role within an established business where you'll have genuine influence over future collections, product development.

You'll work alongside talented colleagues across Design, Product Development, Technical, external production teams, Quality and Commercial functions, helping shape exciting products from concept through to launch while developing and supporting a high-performing team.

In return, we offer:

• A senior leadership opportunity with genuine influence.
• A collaborative and supportive working environment.
• The opportunity to lead exciting product development projects from concept through to launch.
• Enhanced annual leave.
• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact within a well-established and respected business.

Hours: Full Time
Contract: Fixed-Term (1218 Months)
Start Date: September 2026

Ready for your next challenge?

If you're an experienced design leader, we'd love to hear from you.

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