Senior Design & Product Developer (Maternity Cover) in Manchester

ROLE PROFILE 
The WHY 

The Senior Design & Product Developer is responsible for leading the conceptualisation, design, and development of innovative products from ideation through to the final production stage; working closely with the Creative Director & cross-functional teams including Pattern, Seamstress, GT, Fabric & B&M.

The Senior Design & Product Developer role ensures that all product designs are aligned with the brand & creative vision, market trends, and customer needs.

ROLE ACCOUNTABILITY 
The WHAT 

Responsible for:

Design & Product Development:

• Leading the design and development of new products, ensuring they meet MERABI standards, customer needs, and aesthetic goals.




• Creating and refining product sketches, CAD models, and prototypes.




• Using design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, etc.) to develop and present concepts.




• Working with the Creative Director and Production teams (Pattern, GT & Fabric) to ensure feasibility, cost-efficiency, and manufacturability of designs.




• Overseeing the development process from initial design concept to final product production stage, ensuring timelines and quality standards are met.




• Supporting in trend forecast / competitor analysis / comp shop research.




• Researching new concepts including fabric and trim ideas and creating sourcing packs to introduce exciting new materials to the business. Collaborating with fabric team to ensure target prices and compliance guidelines are achievable.




• Supporting in the onboarding of new potential suppliers with Head of Product.

Project & Team Management:

• Managing multiple product development projects simultaneously, ensuring they are tracked and completed on time & in line with Critical Path.




• Tracking progress and providing regular updates to senior management on project milestones.




• Ensuring maintenance of product development documentation, including specifications, material lists, and production processes.




• Presenting & following up in all fit’s sessions- providing key actions & outcomes.




• Presenting back to product team weekly / monthly sample rate against factory success.




• Leading weekly meetings with each factory on any queries and feeding back to the team.




• Management of China based Merchandise & Developer team members.




• Mentoring and training junior designers and product developers on technical design, fabric development, trend forecasting, and industry best practices to support their growth and improve team systems.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Taking the lead in ensuring the development process follows best practices and achieves desired outcomes.




• Collaborating with the Product Team to ensure product designs meet target market expectations and brand identity.




• Working with suppliers and manufacturers to source materials and ensure product specifications are followed.




• Communicating design ideas effectively to internal teams.




• Participating in regular team meetings, providing updates on product development progress.




• Collaborating with all business functions to drive consistency & deliver new products.




• Collaborating with Marketing & Creative to deliver & facilitate photo shoots & key product drops within the business to our critical path.

Accountable for:

• Leading projects or teams to timeline and defined output.




• Decision making on architecture, design, and implementation.




• Mentoring junior designers and developers, offering guidance on technical skills, industry trends, and best practices to support their growth and development.

• Communicating and collaborating with stakeholders (Product Managers, Designers, etc.) to align on project goals and ensure successful product delivery.

• Ensuring deliver products in line with the critical path & achieve key timelines set.




• Achieving desired design aesthetic from concept to product creations.




• Driving target prices and margin through developments.




• Leading production schedule meetings ensuring full team alignment.




• Awareness of all factory shipment dates utilising the set critical path.




• Aligning the business to all product launches & design concepts.




• Maintain best practices in coding standards, documentation, and testing.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE 
The HOW 

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience in product design and development for a luxury women’s brand or retailer. Experience in premium, atelier, bridal is advantageous.




• Strong organisational & time management skills.




• Key understanding of high quality and construction of garments.




• Experience with high quality trims and details e.g. opening moulds etc and the cost impact to the business.




• Ability to work under tight deadlines and prioritise tasks effectively.




• Excellent communication skills & relationship building when dealing with factories.




• Happy to take the lead when required, but also a team player.




• Demonstrates a pro-active approach to problem solving.




• Happy to travel overseas when required.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Strong understanding of fabrics, trims and their cost impact on the target prices.




• Experience in a fast-paced environment.




• Knowledge of Excel, Adobe Illustrator and PowerPoint.




• Agile to evolving business needs and priorities.

This position is a maternity cover role with an ideal start date of July/August 2025. It is a fixed-term contract for 12 to 15 months.