Assistant Designer WW Knitwear in City of Westminster

We are recruiting for two Assistant Designers within our Womenswear Knitwear team, one on a permanent basis and one on a 12-month fixed‑term contract. As an Assistant Designer, you will play a key supporting role in delivering timely, commercial, and trend‑led product. Working closely with the design team, you will contribute to all stages of the design process—from initial research and concept development to final product execution.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting trend and competitor research.
• Creating visual assets and CADs to bring design concepts to life.
• Supporting the development of cohesive seasonal ranges.
• Assisting in fit sessions, helping to ensure product meets both aesthetic and technical standards.

This is a fast‑paced, collaborative role suited to someone with a strong eye for detail, a passion for knitwear, and a proactive approach to supporting the delivery of high‑quality, customer‑focused collections. Please include a sample of your portfolio with your application. Ensure it is submitted as a PDF, as we are unable to access external links.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.

What’s in it for you:

Being a part of M&S is exactly that – playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We’re an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever‑evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value, service to every customer, whenever, wherever, and however they want to shop with us. Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special:

• After completing your probationary period, you’ll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third‑party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days!
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry‑leading parental, adoption, and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues including access to our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist to support you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a charity or cause you’re passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Using product knowledge to source images, compile and layout Design Product Strategy (DPS) boards, identifying relevant trends.
• Under direction from the Designer, conducting inspirational and comp shopping, making recommendations for your ranges.
• Researching current and emerging trends, sharing ideas with the Design team to help ensure ranges are continually evolving and market leading.
• Collaborating with the Designers to meet critical path deadlines and deliver the right designs, at the right time.
• Creating CAD’s using Photoshop / Illustrator to show true representation of product for range reviews and PLM tech packs.

Your skills and experience will include:

• Experience in Women’s Knitwear design and experience within the Retail industry.
• Strong design and CAD skills with an eye for detail.
• Knowledge of trend interpretation, current competitive marketplace, and product design.
• Experience in briefing and specifying direct design sourced product, working with Technology/Design and Buying to create high standards of Tech Packs.
• Multitask orientated with the ability to work to tight deadlines to the Design and Buying critical path.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.