Senior Footwear Designer

Responsibilities

• Deliver excellence in product design, from concept to completion, that represents key trends and commercial opportunities, and create a balanced range for your category.
• Through strong understanding of fabric, engineering, fit and quality, produce designs to a high technical standard, and excellent first sample hit rate, for the level of the market.
• Through outstanding broad market and customer awareness and research, and a thorough understanding of the River Island brand, lead and shape Product Development discussions that address key trends and opportunities.
• In developing broad industry and competitor awareness, identify and realise new product and design opportunities aligned to our overall Product strategy.
• Incorporate an understanding of sustainable practices in design, development and production to deliver on our sustainability commitments, and role model this to the whole Design team.
• Understand sales history, sales and margin targets and range plans across both your own area of countability and more broadly across all divisions to ensure designs are aligned to deliver on commercial opportunities.
• Through strong relationships and collaboration with suppliers, fabric mills, Fabric Sourcing and Buying counterparts, identify and realise opportunities for newness, trends and sourcing.
• Support new Design Talent through mentoring and developing all team members, creating learning opportunities and fostering inclusion and diversity of opinion.
• Provide direction to Designers and Assistant Designers, managing their workload to ensure they contribute effectively to the design process.
• Grow talent within the Design team, identifying readiness for next role, providing learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring in a timely way to enable everyone to realise their individual potential.

• Substantial previous experience as an established Designer or equivalent is essential
• Qualifications or studies relevant to Design are essential
• Must be able to provide a portfolio of Design work
• Track record of successfully mentoring and developing others
• Excellent network in the market and industry.
• Advanced Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop skills are essential