Senior Manager Design - Women'sHead Office

As Head of Design for Clothing you will set the design strategy and vision, leading the creative direction and leadership., aligning with the brand DNA.

This role involves overseeing the development of innovative and commercially successful collections/categories ensuring to meet customer demands, profitability and brand aesthetic.

Collaborating closely with other teams including buying, supply and brand to ensure smooth and efficient product lifecycle management and ET product delivery

As a leader you will foster the development of a high performing creative team ensuring their development and achievement of departmental goals

• Set the design strategy and Vision – lead the overall design strategy for seasonal collections, in align with the companys long term vision and brand DNA. Collaborate with Buying and Merch Senior Managers to deliver on dept strategy and targets
• Oversee the creation of trend, concepts and creative briefs ensuring they are relevant and commercially viable
• Act as the custodian of the brands aesthetic, ensuring cohesion across all depts, platforms
• Collaborate with the marketing and brand team to ensure design is consistently communicated to consumers. Attend marketing selections, communicating key trends and outfits

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead &, inspire a high performing design team, instil a collaborative and inclusive environment
• Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities for junior, mid-level designers supporting their growth and career advancement
• Set clear objectives and targets for the team, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews, providing feedback to drive continuous improvement
• Promote cross functional collaboration with other depts – buying, quality and supply base to ensure seamless execution of designs - 1 team mentality

Budget Management /Resource Allocation

• Oversee & manage design budget for travel and samples, work with Senior Dorector to plan yearly design budget, allocate effectively to support design strategy/team development
• Work with senior leaders to develop budgets for seasonal collections to ensure all financial objectives are met without compromising creativity and quality

Collection Development/Execution

• Ensure the successful design and timely execution of collections from concept to final design – oversee design critical path, adhere to deadline dates
• Maintain a hands-on role in reviewing final samples, range construction, ensuring design integrity and brand alignment – attend all Range Build sign off meetings

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Achievement of sales and margin targets for the product range.
• Supplier performance, including on-time delivery and quality standards.
• Successful product launches and availability during key sales periods (e.g., seasonal, promotional events).
• Delivery of trends in line with the marketplace

Skills & Experience:

• Experience in Design: Previous experience in design or buying management in the fashion/apparel industry, ideally in a retail or wholesale environment. Experienced in identifying trend via varied genres of resource, interpreatiing trends relevant to customer/Brand DNA.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding the design critical path, including fabric lead times, country of origin expertise
• Supplier Relations: Proven experience building strong supplier relationships, leveraging supplier design resource and expertise
• Market Knowledge: In-depth understanding of fashion trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activity.
• Analytical & Data-Driven: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data, trends, and market insights to make informed design decisions.
• Team Leadership: Experience managing and mentoring junior team members, with a strong focus on performance development.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Everything you'll love

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including:

• Discretionary company bonus
• Company pension up 1.5 times colleagues' contribution (Max 15%)
• Company Car allowance of £8000
• 15% colleague discount in store and online
• Free access to wellbeing services such as Wagestream
• 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas
• Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated
• Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be Proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves