Assistant Designer - Girlswear Nightwear, Underwear & Accessories - (12 Months Fixed Term Contract)

Working Pattern: Typically 5 days in the office, with core hours flexible between 8am-6pm.

The Role
As an Assistant Designer for Girlswear, you’ll be a vital creative spark within the Next design team, turning global street-style trends into the credible wardrobe staples our customers love. Working alongside our Designers, Merchandisers, Buyers and Technologists, you’ll help push the boundaries of our collections, ensuring every piece is as fresh as it is high-quality.

Our Designers here at Next are forward thinking. Looking for that Next opportunity, focusing on trends and pushing the boundaries of what we can offer our fantastic customer base. Working as a key part of the critical path; creating new and innovative designs across Girlswear.

What You’ll Take On
As an Assistant Designer for Girlswear, you are a vital engine behind our collections, supporting the journey from initial concept to the final product on the rail. Your day-to-day will involve:

• Designing the Full Range: Leading the creative development for Girlswear Nightwear, Underwear & Accessories, while providing essential design support for the wider department
• Translating Global Trends: Constantly researching and identifying key shifts in color, silhouette, and yarn to create elevated, trend-led products that resonate with our young customers.
• Designing at Pace: Responding with agility to creative briefs, producing high-impact, fast-turnaround designs to ensure our collections stay fresh and reactive to the market.
• Balancing Aesthetic and Value: Working strategically within price-point guidelines to deliver "must-have" style without ever compromising on quality or garment integrity.
• Collaborating Cross-Functionally: Partnering daily with Buyers, Merchandisers, Technologists, and Sourcing teams to ensure every design is technically sound, commercially viable, and delivered to exact specifications.
• Partnering with Suppliers: Communicating directly with our global manufacturing partners to see your designs through from initial sketch to the final sample.
• Driving Collection Variety: Supporting everything from high-energy, project-based "capsule" collections to the essential main range development that forms the backbone of the brand.

What You’ll Bring

• Girlswear Design Foundation: You have a solid background in Girlswear design; experience across both Childrenswear and Womenswear is a distinct advantage.
• Industry Insight: Ideally, you’ve gained experience within a fast-paced Retailer or Supplier environment.
• Design Tools: You are a pro at using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create precise, high-impact CADs. An understanding of AI design tools is a bonus and will help you stay ahead of the curve.
• Manufacturing Knowledge: Previous experience collaborating with factories, brands, or retailers will give you a head start in understanding our global supply chain.

Your Strengths & Behaviours

• Collaborative Spirit: You are a natural team player with strong people skills, comfortable communicating your ideas clearly to both creative and commercial partners.
• Resilience & Agility: You stay grounded and organised during busy periods, handling fast-turnaround briefs with a positive, "can-do" attitude.
• Commercial Awareness: You understand the balance between "cool" design and business realities, helping us navigate price points without losing our creative edge.
• Trend-Focused Curiosity: You have a genuine obsession with fashion and always have your finger on the pulse of new opportunities and emerging global trends.
• Passionate: Wanting to make a difference.

A Quick Note: We can’t wait to see your style! Please ensure you attach your digital portfolio to your application, as we won’t be able to consider your journey with us without it.

We are looking for work that is trend-focused, demonstrating your ability to translate high-fashion concepts into commercially successful, elevated designs for the Girlswear market!

Sponsorship
Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements. For further information please see: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.

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Benefits