Hallmark Cards UK & Ireland
Design Manager
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Design Manager
As a Design Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in translating range strategies into compelling customer solutions, grounded in consumer insight and creative vision. Working closely with Creative, Editorial, Product and Artworking teams, you’ll lead design execution from concept through to SKU-level delivery, ensuring alignment with creative direction, customer needs and business objectives.
You’ll help bring product ranges to life by balancing creative excellence with operational rigour, ensuring products are delivered to agreed standards, timelines and specifications. Through strong collaboration and attention to detail, you’ll support the successful development of products that meet aesthetic, technical and commercial requirements.
Your Responsibilities
- Lead the day-to-day development of ranges across categories and customer accounts, balancing creativity with effective delivery.
- Translate consumer and customer needs into line-level design briefs aligned to the creative strategy.
- Partner with Art Directors and Product teams to develop range architecture while maintaining design integrity and manufacturability.
- Support customer presentations through digital SKUs and production mock-ups, leading presentations where required.
- Apply manufacturing knowledge to design solutions and participate in technical and development meetings.
- Catalogue ideation, ranges and signatures to support range development and global asset sharing.
- Conduct asset searches and reservations to support range development activity.
- Brief Artwork Designers in line with Critical Date Path milestones and work with Creative Services to manage timelines and resources.
- Manage licensing approvals and ensure compliance with relevant rights and restrictions.
- Ensure accurate specifications, data and files are provided for pre-production handover.
- Coordinate print trials and sealing processes alongside Product teams.
- Support the setup of new concepts within systems and maintain accurate project tracking information.
- Validate packaging files against agreed specifications.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Your Accountabilities
- Deliver finished SKUs aligned to agreed range architecture and Critical Date Paths.
- Ensure design files meet technical specifications and are accurately maintained within systems.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date project and brief tracking information.
- Ensure final products meet agreed quality, value and delivery standards.
Key Relationships
- Head of Creative Services
- Art Directors
- Product & Range Managers
- Account Managers
- Marketing Managers
- Creative Studio
- Creative Services Manager
- Supply
- Technical Team
- Procurement
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
To Be Successful You Will Need
- Strong creative capability and aesthetic judgement.
- Digital and technical agility.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage ambiguity and work with pace and urgency.
- Confidence in making timely decisions.
- Strong influencing skills and the confidence to challenge where appropriate.
- Project management capability.
- Strong technical understanding and attention to detail.
- Degree-level education in a design-related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
- Significant design experience, ideally within greetings cards or a related consumer products industry.
Based at our Dawson Lane site in Bradford, close to key motorway links you’ll be able to take advantage of:
- Competitive salary
- 26 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Health cashback scheme
- Pension benefit
- Flexible working opportunities including hybrid working
- Free onsite parking for when you are in the office
- A variety of other cultural and lifestyle benefits, aimed at promoting a positive work/life balance
IND123
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills