Design Team Manager (Sportswear) in Huddersfield

Fairmont Crest have been retained by a multi brand global apparel business operating across menswear, womenswear and kids, spanning apparel, footwear and accessories to support them with the recruitment of a Design Team Manager to lead and elevate their design function. This is a leadership role responsible for driving team output, aligning creative execution with commercial goals, and ensuring consistent delivery across multiple brands and categories.

The Role

You will be accountable for managing and directing the design team to deliver commercially focused, brand appropriate collections across all channels. This role sits at the intersection of creative direction, commercial execution, and team leadership, ensuring the business delivers against both brand ambition and revenue targets.

Key Responsibilities / Performance Measures

• Partner with board and senior leadership team members to define design priorities, workload planning, and seasonal requirements.
• Own team workload planning and forecasting, ensuring resource is aligned to deliver range architecture, target price points, and seasonal deadlines. Drive pace, efficiency, and accountability across the full critical path.
• Lead and develop a team of designers, providing clear direction to deliver commercially viable collections aligned to brand strategy.
• Collaborate with account managers and customers to interpret SMU briefs, ensuring the team delivers against requirements with speed, clarity, and commercial focus.
• Maintain a strong understanding of market trends, fabrication, and production techniques, embedding this into design output and actively developing team capability.
• Build and maintain effective cross-functional relationships across development, merchandising, sales, and supply chain to ensure seamless execution from concept to delivery.
• Work closely with merchandising and supply chain teams to ensure design output aligns with pricing frameworks and margin expectations.

Skills & Experience

• Minimum 7+ years’ experience in apparel design within fashion or sportswear.
• Proven experience managing and developing direct reports.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating both creative capability and commercial awareness.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator (Photoshop beneficial).
• Strong understanding of garment construction, textiles, and manufacturing processes.
• Clear leadership presence with the ability to set direction, challenge, and elevate team output.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills with confidence working cross-functionally and with external partners.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary
• Flexible working (1–2 days from home, with flexibility where appropriate)
• Opportunity to work across multiple established and growing brands
• Career progression within a scaling business
• Staff discount and sample sales

Fairmont Crest is an executive recruitment agency specialising in senior and executive roles globally.