Design Director

Design Director - Casual Sportswear (Mens and Ladies)

Our client is a European brand that has 2000+ stores in Asia, strong ecommerce presence and solid investment in future expansion plans. Due to strong growth they are now seeking a Design Director to lead and nurture their design team. The product category is Casual Sportswear. This is an expat position based in Beijing, China, responsible for managing a team of nearly 20 designers.

Purpose of the Role: 

• Lead the design team for the casual sportswear brand to generate cohesive stories and themes. 
• To ensure the most effective use of talent to create competitive advantage from concept through to delivery.  
• To ensure the development of commercial product ranges for customers

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Teams

• Be the creative leader and partner to all stakeholders 
• Set and guide creative direction for the categories including putting together option plan
• Lead, train, hire, motivate design team to deliver high quality, customer focussed design work
• Attract, develop and retain talent; create appropriate succession plans
• Monitor and evaluate performance of individuals and teams

Strategy & Development

• Lead and implement the creative strategy across the various product areas in line with consumer preferences and overall business plan
• Provide direction on seasonal requirements on fabrics, trims etc
• Strategically partner with other business units (merchandising, production, development, sourcing)
• Keep abreast of customer preferences, changes in style and trends to remain competitive in the market

Operation & Results

• Coordinate and optimise the use of design resources 
• Allocate and distribute projects and workload across design teams
• Set design goals and articulate business metrics, and motivate teams to deliver results
• Ensure consistently high quality of design work
• Be aware of market trends across the major markets and business units
• Ensure that the design teams provide trend-appropriate design concepts that meet market needs and drive sales
• Set, manage and monitor the design team budget

Design Director- Casual Sportswear: The Candidate:

• The ideal candidate is a Head of Design/Design Director/Creative Head with strong casual sportswear experience in the European market. 
• You will have a global creative view and be able to translate all that into emerging markets in Asia.
• You will be energetic, positive and driven, be prepared to provide freshness to a brand and super motivated!
• You will be willing to relocate and live and work as an expat in Beijing.

What's on offer?

A generous expat package that includes a more than competitive salary, tier 1 accommodation in a lush international city, bonuses, allowances, benefits, chauffeur driven car, and an amazing lifestyle!