Design Manager in Bradford

We are looking for a part-time Design Manager to join our team for 6 months. You will play an integral role in the realisation of our creative and commercial vision, product design and range selection, as well as the technical realisation in print production. Using your eye for design, technical skills and understanding of design files and the print process, you will keep us on track and ensure each team has what they need.

A crucial link and overseer of our design process, your main responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Overseeing day-to-day development of ranges within the business across various categories and/or customer accounts demonstrating excellent creative delivery, mirrored with strong organisational skills.
• Translating consumer and customer requirements into line level insights to deliver creative strategies, maximising design decisions balancing the needs for newness and the benefits of maximising Hallmark's vast design assets.
• Bolstering the customer relationship, involved in presenting product ranges and winning customer and consumer engagement, leveraging your design expertise and understanding of licensing.
• Briefing Artwork Designers in line with CDP & working with the Creative Services Manager to manage and amend resources to ensure milestones are met, extending to process and costing direction meeting overall COGs and Value for Money goals.
• Application of manufacturing knowledge into design solutions, contributing to technical, VFM and CDP meetings.
• Working with technical, production, product and creative teams to ensure catalogues, digital assets, systems, processes and procedures are effectively and efficiently adhered to across all touch points in the design and delivery process.
• Collectively delivering continuous improvements that have both commercial and design evolutionary impacts.

You recognise it's your commitment to understanding your audience; shopper, customer, creative teams, product and technical print teams, coupled with your technical understanding of the design process that makes you a success.

To be successful you'll need to demonstrate:

• Working knowledge of the product development lifecycle, technical print and/or creative design processes.
• A solid understanding of what's important for the shopper, naturally articulating the difference from a design and product/technical perspective and key influences trends and insights, which inform your decision making and selection process and engage your audience.
• Comfort with ambiguity, resourcefulness, tenacity and confidence as a problem solver, with a clear understanding of what factors to take into account when finding a solution and managing resulting impacts.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to be a compelling storyteller, experienced in providing effective feedback, ensuring processes and procedures are followed and articulating design and commercial decisions to engage internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Suite, Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Previous experience of managing projects, within a design and/or print environment, critical date paths and conflicting deadlines and priorities, with excellent organisation, prioritisation and problem-solving skills to meet deadlines and plan appropriately.
• Technical expertise and natural leadership of multi-disciplined teams and complex processes, whilst being a team player, building relationships and supporting others via open and honest communication, being able to work across levels with confidence and authority.
• Evidence of making decisions to balance technical/product decisions with creative and aesthetic judgements would be a significant advantage.
• Commercial acumen and understanding of retail/FMCG, ideally within a creative led business, would be a significant advantage.
• Educated to degree level in a Design/Product Development related subject or equivalent industry experience would be a significant advantage.

Based at our Dawson Lane site in Bradford, close to key motorway links, you'll be able to take advantage of:

• Approximately 25 hours per week contract - flexible with dates and times.
• Competitive salary.
• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays (full time equivalent).
• Health cashback scheme.
• Pension benefit.
• Flexible working opportunities including working from home opportunities.
• Free onsite parking for when you are in the office.
• A variety of other cultural and lifestyle benefits, aimed at promoting a positive work/life balance.