Assistant Designer - 9 Month FTC

White Stuff was established in 1985 through a simple idea. This idea grew and now we have shops and concessions in the UK and internationally, selling women’s and men’s clothing as well as beautiful accessories and homeware. Our original prints (all designed in-house), intricate details and considered design touches reflect our personality and make us subtly distinctive. Our people are at the heart of our brand, constantly moving and driving us forward. We’re sociable, talented and like-minded, and we’re not hierarchical or political in how we do business. We encourage entrepreneurial ideas and accountability at all levels.

Who you are:

• A creative Assistant Designer who intuitively relates to White Stuff brand values, including its aesthetics and tone of voice.
• An innovative Assistant Designer who can find the right balance between creativity and commerciality with a sense of humor in product handwriting!
• Strong team player who’s naturally innovative, driven, enthusiastic and always curious.
• Incredibly creative, highly self‑motivated and passionate for product.
• Strong creative eye and ‘taste’ level, able to create designs that are inspirational and unique, that surprise and delight our customers.
• Having some experience of designing products and understanding how to execute and translate from initial sketch to factory‑ready specs for production.

Primary objective of the job:

Working as part of the product team assist to deliver the product handwriting in tandem with the design team, working into relevant trends, delivering innovation and driving growth to meet business KPI’s. Under the supervision of the senior designer create designs that offer newness, choice and a cohesive handwriting throughout the seasons to ensure that White Stuff stands out from the crowd, this is imperative to make the brand look and feel different, capture new customers in the UK and international markets.

What you’ll be doing:

• Working as part of the product team supporting, identifying, developing and presenting new trend and product opportunities within the seasonal brief.
• Work with the wider Design Team to meet critical path deadlines.
• Create on‑brand unique designs from concept stage to ready-to-brief spec packs under the supervision of the senior designer, sharing with the wider team at sketch and swatch stages.
• Create clear and concise sketches under the supervision of the senior designer, ensuring all spec sheets are factory ready.
• Working closely with the wider design team to ensure product developed compliments the wider collections.
• Responsible for cataloguing and filing bought samples and design proto samples.
• Responsible for maintaining the seasonal design tracker.

What you’ll need:

• Previous experience working as an Assistant Designer or Design Assistant at a supplier or another retailer/brand in a similar role.
• Good organisational skills with experience of working at pace, meeting critical path deadlines.
• Excellent team player, resilient, pro‑active and able to work creatively both autonomously when needed and as part of the wider design team.
• Good communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Fully CAD literate within Photoshop, Illustrator and PowerPoint.
• A great sense of colour.
• Able to create factory‑ready spec sheets, liaising directly with factories to ensure commercial yet creative products are actioned.
• Always keeping our customer front of mind whilst developing and designing new products.
• Always striving to go the extra mile, obsessing about the detail from concept through to product execution.
• Degree or equivalent in design‑based subject.

What we will offer you:

• Quarterly/Annual bonus opportunity.
• Up to 25 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays.
• 2 extra (paid!) days off per year to volunteer in the local community.
• 50% discount.
• Subsidised BUPA Dental Insurance.
• Healthcare cash plan and Life Assurance.
• Interest free season ticket loan.

England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.