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- Tasks: Lead a creative design team to deliver stylish, commercially viable collections.
- Company: Hela Brands, a dynamic multi-brand apparel business.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, career progression, and staff discounts.
- Why this job: Shape the future of fashion while leading a talented team in a vibrant environment.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in apparel design, strong leadership, and a creative portfolio.
- Other info: Join a fast-paced team with opportunities for growth across multiple brands.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Location: Huddersfield, HD3 4EX
Salary: Competitive, depending on experience
Contract: Full time, Permanent
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
About Us:
Hela Brands is a multi brand apparel business operating across menswear, womenswear and kids, spanning apparel, footwear and accessories. Our portfolio includes brands such as Ellesse, Nautica, Reebok, AVX Avirex Dept, Fenchruch, Peter Werth and more.
We are seeking a Design Team Manager to lead and elevate our 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.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Partner with board and senior leadership 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.
To be successful in this role, you will have:
- 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.
If you feel you have the necessary skills and experience to be successful in this role click on APPLY today, forwarding an up to date copy of your CV for consideration in the first instance.
No agencies please.
Design Team Manager in Huddersfield employer: Hela Brands
Contact Detail:
Hela Brands Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Team Manager in Huddersfield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend design events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, make sure to highlight your best work. Tailor your portfolio to showcase projects that align with the brands you're applying to, especially those that demonstrate your commercial awareness.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its brands. Understand their design ethos and recent collections. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their goals and how you can elevate their design function.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at Hela Brands. Let’s get you that Design Team Manager role!
We think you need these skills to ace Design Team Manager in Huddersfield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Design Team Manager role. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant projects that showcase your creative and commercial capabilities.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share your passion for design and how your background aligns with our brands. Be sure to mention specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead a team effectively.
Showcase Your Portfolio: Include a link to your portfolio that highlights your best work in apparel design. Make sure it showcases both your creative flair and your understanding of commercial viability, as this is key for the role.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This ensures your application gets to the right people quickly and shows us you're keen on joining our team at Hela Brands!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hela Brands
✨Know Your Brands
Before the interview, dive deep into Hela Brands and its portfolio. Familiarise yourself with each brand's identity, target audience, and recent collections. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you align your design vision with their commercial goals.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
As a Design Team Manager, your leadership approach is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed and developed teams in the past. Highlight specific instances where your direction led to improved team output or innovative design solutions.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Awareness
Be ready to discuss how your design decisions have positively impacted sales and brand positioning. Bring along your portfolio, focusing on projects that showcase your ability to balance creativity with commercial viability, as this is key for the role.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration
Since the role involves working closely with merchandising, sales, and supply chain teams, think of examples where you've successfully collaborated across departments. Be prepared to discuss how you ensure seamless execution from concept to delivery, as this will be vital for success in the position.