Katie Loxton Design Lead - Travel, Handbags, PU Accessories

We are looking for a Design Lead who is obsessed with all things product innovation, standout design and commercially successful collections to join our wonderfully talented Product Design team! This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and commercially minded designer to make their mark on our travel, bags and PU accessories collections. Working closely with our Senior Product Design Manager, you’ll bring our seasonal creative vision to life, transforming inspiring ideas into beautifully considered, commercially successful products that reflect our signature affordable luxury positioning.

You will make an impact by personally designing standout hero products, shaping exciting new ranges and exploring fresh ideas in materials, finishes and personalisation. Balancing creativity with commercial awareness, you’ll take ownership of your categories from concept to launch, ensuring every detail is considered and every collection is delivered to our creative, quality and commercial expectations.

As a hands-on leader, you’ll inspire and develop your team, champion exceptional design standards and collaborate with Buying, Merchandising and wider teams to bring our collections to life. With a passion for product, an eye for detail and the confidence to turn creative vision into reality, you’ll play an important role in shaping the products our customers know and love.

The role is Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. You’ll enjoy the exciting buzz of our stunning head office in Banbury, Oxfordshire, spending an average of three days a week in the office, with the flexibility to work from home on the remaining days. During key seasonal sign-off periods, you’ll also need to be in the office for full weeks to support collaboration and decision-making.

We’re a family-run, entrepreneurial company with an exciting pace of life and a bright and friendly team. We are passionate about creating stunning products with a personal touch and innovating our business behind the scenes. We value creativity, collaboration and integrity.

HOW YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE

• Creative Direction & Design
  • Translate the creative direction established by the Creative Director, Head of Product Design and Senior Product Design Manager into clear concepts and designs for your assigned categories.
  • Develop category concepts, product designs and range proposals with Buying Managers, ensuring collections reflect our affordable luxury positioning and agreed customer requirements.
  • Personally design hero and key products, setting the standard for creativity, craftsmanship, quality, innovation and attention to detail.
  • Explore new ideas, materials, finishes, techniques and personalisation opportunities within the agreed seasonal direction.
  • Research market trends and competitor activity monthly, sharing insights with the team and applying them to category development.
  • Contribute to Autumn/Winter, Spring/Summer and key gifting collections, presenting concepts, range progress and recommendations at agreed seasonal milestones.
  • Brief team members on category inspiration, hero products, product stories and key selling points, incorporating feedback and escalating decisions outside your authority.
• Range Development & Commercial Delivery
  • Lead the development and delivery of assigned category ranges in partnership with Buying and Merchandising, working within the agreed seasonal vision, range architecture, option plan, pricing architecture and channel mix.
  • Use sales, customer and competitor insights to review commercial performance, inform design decisions and recommend improvements to current and future ranges.
  • Own category critical paths, managing milestones, dependencies, workloads and delivery risks while ensuring team members take accountability for their deadlines.
  • Review and respond to briefs from Wholesale, Ecommerce, House Accounts, Dropship and the US market, ensuring proposals meet agreed requirements and brand standards.
  • Support personalisation across global B2C websites, coordinating category design requirements with relevant stakeholders.
  • Monitor progress against deadlines, budgets and quality expectations, resolving routine issues and escalating significant risks to the Senior Product Design Manager.
  • Coordinate category photography and brochure schedules, checking imagery against approved designs and ensuring information is accurate and delivered on time.
  • Collaborate with Buying, Merchandising, Sales, suppliers and wider teams to interpret data, identify commercial opportunities and deliver collections to schedule.
• Product Quality & Technical Development
  • Provide final design sign-off on samples and specification sheets within your delegated authority, ensuring products meet approved design intent, quality expectations and technical requirements.
  • Work with suppliers and internal teams to ensure samples meet specifications first time, resolving routine product quality issues with factories.
  • Oversee category deliverables, including packaging, swing tags, care labels, point-of-sale materials and relevant product testing, ensuring accuracy and adherence to agreed standards.
  • Oversee the preparation and accuracy of CADs, technical packs and other product design documentation.
  • Ensure CAD and AI-supported design tools are used appropriately to review product detailing and requirements before designs progress into technical packs.
  • Uphold and continually improve design processes, tools and standards to support efficiency, consistency and first-time-right delivery.
  • Review product imagery and design deliverables against approved samples and designs, identifying opportunities to improve product quality, materials, processes and supplier collaboration.
  • Escalate significant quality risks, technical exceptions and decisions outside your delegated authority to the Senior Product Design Manager.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Line manage assigned Senior Product Designer(s) and lead day-to-day category design activity, including Midweight and Junior Designers where applicable.
  • Set clear expectations, delegate effectively and manage team workloads to deliver agreed priorities on time.
  • Lead by example, promoting accountability, strong management and effective self-management throughout the team.
  • Provide regular creative feedback, coaching and mentoring to develop design capability, technical knowledge and commercial awareness.
  • Monitor individual performance, engagement and development, addressing routine issues in line with Company people management processes.
  • Identify training, development and capacity requirements, escalating wider resource or performance concerns to the Senior Product Design Manager.
  • Provide weekly updates on project status, critical-path progress, delivery risks and resource requirements.
  • Collaborate with other design teams and support other Company brands where required, undertaking other reasonable ad hoc duties as requested.

THE TALENT YOU'LL BRING

• A relevant design qualification, preferably in fashion, accessories or product design, or equivalent professional experience within fashion, handbags and accessories.
• Proven experience leading a category or range from concept to launch, with a track record of commercially successful products.
• Experience line managing, coaching and developing designers, with the ability to inspire others and provide constructive creative feedback.
• A strong eye for design and brand, with the ability to develop compelling concepts, maintain brand consistency and deliver beautifully considered products.
• Strong technical knowledge of materials, finishes, manufacturing processes and supplier management, with an understanding of product specifications and quality standards.
• Commercial awareness and experience working with Buying and Merchandising on pricing architecture and range planning, with confidence using sales and customer data to inform design decisions.
• Excellent proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, alongside good knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills, with the confidence to present concepts, communicate range progress and make recommendations to stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple critical paths, competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• A positive, proactive and inspiring leadership style, with the ability to work collaboratively, take initiative and lead by example.

PERFECTLY PACKAGED

• A competitive salary
• 33 days holiday including bank holidays rising to 35 with length of service
• A broad benefits package including our staff favourite – a very generous staff discount across both our brands.
• Opportunities to make an impact as well as learn and develop further
• An innovative and friendly workplace with a team we’re proud to be part of.

Joma Jewellery was founded in 2008 by Katie and Geoff Loxton, since then we have gone from strength to strength, launching Katie Loxton in 2015 and growing our business beyond the UK. We know that part of that growth comes from the fact that we take diversity and inclusion very seriously. We strive to be the best in our field, and we know that happens by hiring a diverse team and encouraging everyone to be their authentic selves when working with us. We don’t hire based on cultures, preferences, or personalities – it’s what you bring to the team that counts. We are always striving to improve our way of working to be more inclusive, diverse and equal, including encouraging all team members to bring their ideas to the table as we know this is key to our continued success.