Design Manager - Homeware

About the role

We are looking for a Designer Manager to drive the direction and design our our homeware department. As well as managing the design team, you would work alongside our Buying teams to create commercial collections in line with the industry and customer expectations.

As a Design Manager on Homeware, you would also be responsible for:

• Working with your design team to create a comprehensive strategic design brief and/or trend pack highlighting key shape, colour and fabric direction and innovation for the season.
• Constantly seeking out new sources of inspiration (individuals/ brands/ markets) and encouraging the team to do the same, sharing this information with the wider team on a regular basis.
• Communicating the aesthetic direction to key suppliers to ensure the key trends are reflected in their development
• Contributing to the product strategy with the HOB and HOM, identifying key seasonal macro trends to seek out lifestyle shifts, both local and global
• Utilising in depth knowledge of commercially viable trends, marketplace and customer to direct and guide the delivery of a confident, well balanced and commercial range that fulfils customer requirements.
• Ensuring the DOB, HOB and Buying teams understand the key trends in terms of product, materials, fabrics and colour and are fully 'brought in' to the vision.
• Working proactively with other Design Managers across the business to ensure ranges have cohesion and compliment each other, identifying further product opportunities where necessary.
• Managing the creation and development of new product designs across departments/ brands through your design team retaining the right balance of forward thinking and commerciality, in line with the product vision.
• Utilising knowledge of the buying calendar and critical path to create specific design critical paths to support business wide launches.
• Coaching and developing your design teams to have ownership and understand their impact on the critical path and the importance of hitting key dates.

About You

• Extensive experience in Homeware Design
• Ability to communicate and translate business directives into design process
• Styling and photography liaison and the ability to look at phasing of trends to support the marketing calendar
• Strong team leadership skills
• Ability to build and manage stakeholder relationships both internally and externally
• Excellent communication skills at all levels
• Previous experience of leading and managing a team within a similar retail setting
• Ability in major design programmes to help guide and support the team
• Proven ability in critical path and time management

About Matalan From humble beginnings to disruptive innovations in the retail industry, when we say there’s no other retailer like Matalan, we really mean it! There’s an honesty and energy here that allows our people to shine, which our colleagues, customers and suppliers love. With over 200 stores in the UK, a growing online presence and over 15,000 employees, we’re a thriving, omnichannel value retailer that’s going places and delivering year on year growth. If you want to work for a company that’s passionate about its people, helps you to grow and be the best you can be, then you’ve come to the right place. We work together to support our customers, suppliers and each other, and we’re excited by the possibility of our people helping us to shape the future of retail. We make sure every voice is heard, nurture the ambitions of our people and invest in their future. Our amazing and diverse people make us who we are and our values are the driving force behind everything we do: Think Customer, Think Family, Be Real, Be the Best. Talent is quickly spotted and nurtured, and there are lots of opportunities to tailor make your own career and learn with us. Right now, Matalan is stepping in to a new age and embracing the changing face of retail. We have some exciting opportunities across the business in Retail and Logistics, as well as Ecommerce, Marketing, Technology and Product at our Head Office in Liverpool and our new Creative Hub in London.

Benefits

In addition to competitive salaries, we also offer the below core benefits:

• 20% staff discount, which increases with length of service

• Thrive Recognition Scheme

• Wellbeing support provided by the Retail Trust

• Life Assurance

• Retail Rewards platform offering discounts for other retailers

• Pension Scheme

• Access to a wide range of career development

• Additional benefits may apply depending on your role and area of the business