Designer (Blouses) - Maternity Cover

We're the feel-good fashion brand making style accessible and fun for over 55 years, on our website, mobile app and over 300 stores in the UK.

By living our values - we play to win, customer obsessed, we are one and it starts with me - we deliver That New Look Feeling for our customers and each other.

The Role

This is a 12 month maternity cover role.

Here at New Look, design is where it all starts. We are looking for a passionate and driven Designer to join us and be an integral part of our team! With a finger on the pulse for the latest trends at all times, this individual will drive new ideas and push trends that are relevant for the New Look customer. Working closely with buying, merchandising, and suppliers to build a cohesive Blouses range that we can be proud of. No two days are the same, and we thrive in a fast-paced environment.

What's in it for you

• 40% staff discount plus friends & family discounts throughout the year
• Access to our reward platform for external discounts and offers
• Private pension scheme
• Virtual GP access for you and your children, allowing you to speak to a doctor at your convenience
• All employees are covered by our life assurance policy from day one
• Unlock extra leave with our buy more holiday scheme
• Celebrate YOU! Enjoy an extra paid day off on your birthday each year
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave, and shared parental leave
• Interest-free season ticket loans to spread the cost of your commute
• Cycle2Work scheme to do your bit for the environment and save money
• Partnering with the Retail Trust and Fashion & Textile Children's Trust

What you'll be doing

• Identify department key items at the start of the season and ensure their delivery aligns with customer profiles
• Take full ownership of key item blocks in line with brand strategy
• Drive the design team forward, supporting the Head of Design, and contribute to strategic opportunities
• Drive new trends commercially through product ranges with brand handwriting and customer focus
• Manage the critical path from design concept to final samples, reacting to market changes
• Create mood boards, trend presentations, and reports to communicate trend messages
• Source new fabrics inspired by trend research and share ideas with the design team
• Collaborate with buying to build a fashion-forward, commercial range, ensuring brand consistency
• Influence and ensure the delivery of newness into the range at appropriate stages
• Identify emerging trends and influence the business with quick reactions and supply chain awareness
• Identify sourcing opportunities and guide development with current suppliers
• Develop products aligned with departmental strategy to meet customer needs
• Monitor competitor analysis and present ideas for product opportunities
• Share relevant information on products, suppliers, and sales performance
• Communicate effectively across teams
• Work with QA on fit sessions to develop blocks reflecting design and customer trends
• Understand the New Look customer deeply
• Contribute to trend and competitor analysis, recommending changes
• Stay familiar with competitors' product ranges
• Challenge current practices and propose initiatives for business benefit
• Manage and develop the design team with strong leadership
• Translate BMD vision into clear goals for your team

Who you are

• Experience as a Designer within a major retailer, department, or established supplier
• Fashion qualification or relevant degree preferred
• Proficient in PC/Mac, Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel, Word, Adobe Suite
• Skilled in hand sketching, Illustrator, and Photoshop
• Capable of presenting compelling work to senior stakeholders
• Manage workload effectively according to critical timelines
• Deep knowledge of the current market and trends
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong understanding of the department and ability to forecast trends
• Experience in line managing and motivating teams
• Ability to build relationships with buying, merchandising, and QA teams
• Contribute to the overall design department strategy
• Excellent organizational skills
• Proficient in delivering key seasonal items
• Speed and efficiency in design work
• Ability to interpret and predict key trends aligned with customer profiles
• Track record of achieving sales and strategic targets

Why New Look?

We care about you and the planet and believe fashion should be a force for positive change. We celebrate inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We are proud of our inclusive culture and talented team members who embrace our shared purpose, behaviors, and values.

We prioritize development, offering training to support your progression so you can achieve your goals.

We are flexible employers, open to discussing different working patterns to suit your needs.

Please ensure your CV is in simple format (e.g., Microsoft Word) when applying to facilitate a smooth process.