Design Manager - Womenswear

Design Manager-Womenswear

Our client is a retailer in Australia with 200+ stores and a strong ecommerce presence. They are now seeking a new Design Manager to lead and nurture their womenswear design team. This is an expat position based in Victoria, Australia, responsible for managing a team of nearly 10 designers.

Purpose of the Role: 

• Lead the womenswear design team for the private label products 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 Manager- Womenswear : The Candidate:

• The ideal candidate is a senior designer with strong womenswear experience within the UK or European high street. 
• You will have a global creative view and be able to translate all that into the Australian market.
• 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 Australia.

What's on offer?

A generous expat package that includes a more than competitive salary,  accommodation in an international city, bonuses, benefits and an amazing lifestyle!