Design Manager-Menswear

Our client is a one of the largest retailers in Asia with 3000+ stores, strong ecommerce presence and solid investment in future expansion plans. Due to strong growth they are now seeking a new Design Manager to lead and nurture their menswear design team. This is an expat position based in India, responsible for managing a young team.

Purpose of the Role: 

• Lead the Menswear 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: The Candidate:

The ideal candidate is a senior designer with strong menswear experience within the UK/European high street, looking to step up into a management position.

You will have a global creative view and be able to translate all that into emerging markets in Asia. You will have an international 'mindset', be open to learning (and unlearning!), have a positive and ambitious attitude towards career and growth. While you are a Design Manager and you will be setting the creative strategy for your team, however you will be a designer at heart and be prepared to become hands on if needed.

You will be willing to relocate and live and work as an expat in India.