Head of Design

Triple Wimbledon champion Fred Perry founded his brand in 1952. He was the son of a cotton spinner, who played and fought his way through, always with style – and despite the establishment. Today, Fred Perry is a global community of over 370 employees, all inspired by the Laurel Wreath and what it represents

THE ROLE:

We are looking for a Head of Design to drive the vision of the Fred Perry Collections - across Menswear, Womenswear, Footwear & Accessories. Overseeing from concept stage to final product - creatively evolving & nurturing what we do best/our DNA, alongside a confident forward-thinking vision that’s culturally connected to the wider world. With a genuine interest in what’s happening out there and what’s next.

This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary creative who thrives on driving multiple projects and on-brand innovative design concepts & solutions.

You will report into the Product Director who oversees the Design, Product and Quality & Sustainability teams each of which have a Head of role.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

You will be responsible for driving the design direction for the collections working closely with the Head of Brand to establish the overarching creative direction for the year what we want to do, what we want to talk about.

To embrace, as part of our Purpose, Mission & Values, the sentiment

“ We are creative risk takers and progressive collaborators.

• To lead and inspire a multidisciplinary Design team, supporting in both their day to day and the development of their skills through ongoing mentoring and nurturing.
• With the support of the Design Process Manager to manage timelines, deadlines and resources. .
• To be the confident & trusted voice of the Design team and a compelling communicator, who can inspire & influence stakeholders.
• An ambassador of the brand and a key spokesperson when working with external collaboration partners & creatives.
• Work closely with the Head of Product to ensure the Design Direction and creative vision is aligned to the commercial needs of our retail operation and global markets.
• Work closely with the Head of Quality & Sustainability to ‘bake in’ sustainability/ESG commitments from the start.
• To be a supportive and collaborative part of the Heads of department team, working cross-functionally to deliver cultural change and key brand & business goals & priorities.
• Maintain a global approach to brand equity, taking onboard insight from our Retail, Buying & Merchandising & Business Development teams.
• To be engaged with, and to understand the importance of looking after our loyal global customers and the need to engage with new - and the hyper connected generation that continue to shape both the present & future.

ABOUT YOU:

• An in depth understanding of Fred Perry - The man, the shirt, the fans.
• A highly experienced Menswear Head of Design or/as well as an experienced Menswear Design Manager
• A forward-thinking creative, with a genuine interest in outside global influences and references the creative landscape of trends and customer behaviours.
• You stay ahead of emerging trends, cultural shifts and market dynamics.
• Strong interpersonal skills to lead and inspire a diverse design team with empathy, strong communication, and a collaborative, solution-focussed approach.
• Enjoys being hands on with designing and able to work with relevant design software.
• A deep knowledge of fabrics, materialisation, construction and product development.
• Comfortable working with and using data to inform creative decisions & direction.
• Able to effectively manage timelines and deadlines in alignment with the business calendar, ensuring thorough preparation for key meetings, including collection sign off.

HOURS:

We actively encourage our teams to have a good work/life balance and so we are pleased to offer flexible working shifts at Fred Perry HQ. Our core shift hours are from 10am – 4.30pm and so employees can choose to start and finish early, or start and finish late. (i.e. work 7:30am-4:00pm, or 10:00am-6:30pm etc). We also have 30-minute early finish on Fridays.

OUR BENEFITS:

We are proud to offer a wide range of benefits to all our staff, and continue to reassess what our community needs from us to thrive. We don’t want to be a good company to work for, we want to be a great one. Here are some things we currently offer:

• Annual performance-related bonus
• Competitive salary
• Generous staff discount and regular sample sales
• Generous pension scheme with 8.5% company contribution
• Option to buy an extra 5 days holiday annually
• Enhanced maternity and paternity packages
• Life insurance
• Private healthcare
• Cycle to work scheme
• Early finish Fridays
• Season ticket loan
• Additional benefits with long service
• 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Annual Birthday vouchers
• EAP
• Social Events
• Plus more

We actively welcome applications from people of all different backgrounds. Your CV will be submitted to hiring managers with all personal details hidden to ensure anonymity.