Clothing Senior Designer in Watford

We are currently recruiting an exciting opportunity for a Senior Designer to join our Pep&Co clothing brand, based from our offices in Watford. The role will be responsible for leading the in-house clothing design function across womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and non-clothing categories. The Senior Designer will partner with the Buying and Merchandising team to ensure the clothing range is both creative and commercially viable - balancing inspiration, cost and speed to market. This role is key to driving the creative and commercial success of the Pep&Co and offers a fantastic opportunity to grow with the business. The role will work on a hybrid basis with flexibility to work from home up to two days per week.

We uphold three core behaviours that guide all our actions:

• Love Our Customers: We strive to delight our customers, listening and responding to their needs because they are our priority.
• Care for Our Colleagues: We support each other to foster a workplace where everyone can thrive.
• Protect Our Pounds / Euros: We are committed to cost-efficiency and value, ensuring every penny counts.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Benefits

Why choose us?

• Professional development: A comprehensive induction plan and the opportunity to complete in-house development programmes to set you up for success or to pursue a qualification through our apprenticeship programme.
• Bonus Potential: Unlock the possibility of earning additional bonuses, rewarding your hard work and achievements.
• Car Allowance: Enjoy the advantage of a car allowance, allowing you to choose your own vehicle while reducing commuting costs.
• Free On-Site Parking: Enjoy the convenience of free parking, making your daily commute hassle-free.
• Onsite Coffee Lounge: Take advantage of our onsite coffee lounge, a perfect space to relax and recharge during breaks.
• Exclusive Store Discounts: Receive a 10% discount on most in-store purchases, enhancing your shopping experience.
• Family-Friendly Benefits: Our comprehensive benefits are designed to support your and your family’s needs.
• My Staff Shop: Gain exclusive discounts through our ‘My Staff Shop’ portal, saving on various products and services.
• Life Assurance Cover: Enjoy peace of mind with our life assurance cover, securing your family’s future.
• Health & Wellbeing Programme: Benefit from an employee assistance programme that supports your health and wellbeing.
• Generous Holiday Allowance: Start with a generous leave entitlement of 33 days per year, with the option to buy additional holidays annually. Celebrate your special day off work every year with an extra day of holiday because we believe birthdays are important.
• Pension Scheme: Plan for the future with our contributory pension scheme, helping you save for a secure retirement.

Responsibilities

Your Impact and Responsibilities… As Senior Designer, you will:

• Manage the design process from concept through to final samples, maintaining brand integrity and commercial focus.
• Own the seasonal design calendar, ensuring timely delivery of colour palettes, trend boards, print direction and CAD packs aligned to range sign-off milestones.
• Work collaboratively with Buying and Merchandising to deliver product that is both design-led and value-engineered for price, margin and quality.
• Translate global and UK trend forecasts into relevant, value-appropriate product direction.
• Oversee print, graphics and packaging direction, ensuring artwork is on-brand, commercial and production-ready.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships and support design development.
• Lead the creative direction for licensed and DTR (Direct-to-Retail) ranges, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines, license approvals and commercial targets.
• Drive innovation through sustainable materials, improved design processes and new ways of working.
• Support the Head of Trading in presenting seasonal design direction to leadership teams and key stakeholders.

Qualifications

Skills and Knowledge… We are looking for someone with:

• Previous experience of working as a Senior Merchandiser leading clothing design across multiple categories.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in Fashion Design, Textile Design or a related field.
• Strong understanding of UK value fashion retail, customer trends and high-street competition.
• In-depth knowledge of licensed product and DTR design processes, including approvals, artwork management and brand compliance.
• Broad product knowledge across womenswear, menswear, kidswear and non-clothing categories.
• Experience managing design function within a value, supermarket, high-street retailer or retail supplier.
• Demonstrated ability to translate trend insights into commercial, best-selling collections.
• Experience working with international supplier bases and managing design development to production.

Since our humble beginnings in 1990, Poundland has evolved into a retail powerhouse with over 700 stores and 15,000 dedicated colleagues across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The addition of Dealz in 2011 further solidified our presence, enabling us to reach millions of customers with our unparalleled value offerings. At Poundland & Dealz, we don’t just offer products at unbeatable prices; we cultivate an environment where every colleague can thrive and contribute to our mission of providing amazing value to millions of customers. Our commitment to excellence, inclusion, and sustainability forms the foundation of our culture, empowering our team members to be the best versions of themselves while making a meaningful impact on the communities we serve.