Next Plc
Menswear Designer - Heavyweight Jersey & Loungewear - Next Sourcing
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Working Pattern
Typically 5 days in the office, with core hours flexible between 8am-6pm.
The Role
Next Sourcing is seeking a creative powerhouse to join our in-house global design hub. We are looking for a designer who lives at the intersection of high-fashion innovation and commercial viability. As our Mens Heavyweight Jersey & Loungewear Designer, you will be the architect behind collections that are as wearable and profitable as they are trend setting, capturing the perfect balance of premium comfort, street-influenced silhouettes, and casual style.
We’re so much more than just a British retailer. From Istanbul to Shanghai, our Sourcing teams live and work in some of the most iconic cities in the world. They're at the heart of finding, developing and delivering the products our customers love, wear and use every day. Located across the globe, our Next Sourcing teams specialise in all different parts of the sourcing operation, from design and technology to product development.
What You’ll Take On
- Design the Full Mens Jersey & Loungewear Range: Create everything from elevated, premium weight basics to contemporary street-influenced loungewear and technical coordinates, ensuring a cohesive and modern aesthetic.
- Translate Global Trends: Research and filter high-level casualwear and streetwear trends into "must-have" products that are relevant to the NEXT customer and commercially viable.
- Inspirational & Development Travel: Embark on seasonal trips to key global cities for trend inspiration, as well as visiting our international factories and suppliers to oversee fabric development and strengthen manufacturing relationships.
- Drive Rapid Design Cycles: Respond quickly to design briefs with high-energy and precision, producing fast turnaround sketches, CADs, and specs without sacrificing style.
- Balance Cost and Quality: Design intelligently within strict price point guidelines, selecting and developing the right fabric weights (GSM), loops, and finishes to maintain a premium feel at a competitive price.
- Partner with Global Teams: Work daily with Buyers and Sourcing Specialists to align on range plans, and collaborate directly with Suppliers to ensure garment washes, fits, and prints are executed to exact specifications.
- Ensure Timely Delivery: Manage your workflow to meet tight production calendars, moving products from initial concept to "shelf-ready" samples on schedule.
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What You’ll Bring
- Jersey & Loungewear Expertise: You have a solid background specifically in jerseywear, with a deep understanding of heavy GSM fabrics, fleece fabrications, rib details, and casual wash finishes.
- Design Software Mastery: Proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator is essential; you’ll use these daily to create precise tech packs, graphic/placement layouts, and high-quality visual renders.
- Industry Background: You have experience working within a large scale retailer or a high volume supplier, giving you a realistic understanding of the speed and scale at which we operate.
- Team-First Mentality: You possess strong people skills and genuinely enjoy collaborating. You know how to build rapport with buyers, sourcing teams, and factory partners alike.
- Resilience in Busy Moments: You stay organised and level-headed when deadlines tighten, managing multiple collections and fast tracks without losing your creative spark or attention to detail.
- Clear Communicator: You can articulate your design ideas effectively, whether you’re presenting a seasonal concept to a buyer or explaining a construction detail to a supplier.
- Proactive Curiosity: You are genuinely passionate about casual fashion, streetwear culture, and fabric innovation, always on the lookout for new opportunities, whether that’s a new sustainable cotton blend or an improved washing technique.
Portfolios
To help us get a feel for your style, please attach a digital portfolio to your application. We are looking for work that demonstrates a sharp eye for the future of Menswear, how your ideas can be commercially viable for NEXT, and showcases your direct design and CAD work. To help you put your best foot forward, we’ve put together a few top tips on what makes a portfolio stand out [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creating-standout-portfolio-next-how-show-us-your-design-espinasse-3amoe/?trackingId=eq4xVeShTA2xZ4DcUWUxmw%3D%3D] to our team.
Applications without a portfolio will not be considered.
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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At NEXT
We believe the best work happens when there are no barriers to collaboration. That’s why we are a Google-powered workspace. From your very first day, you’ll be using the full Google Workspace suite; Docs, Drive, and Meet, to stay connected and move fast.
If your previous experience is rooted in other software suites, don’t worry! We’ll point you to a digital Google toolkit the moment you join, packed with handy guides and insider tips to help you transition smoothly and hit the ground running.
#LI-Onsite
You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 80 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!
- 25% off most NEXT, MADE*, Lipsy*, Gap* and Victoria's Secret* products (*when purchased through NEXT)
- Company performance based bonus
- Sharesave scheme
- On-site Nursery available; OFSTED outstanding in all areas
- 10% off most partner brands & up to 15% off Branded Beauty
- Early VIP access to sale stock
- Access to fantastic discounts at our Staff Shops
- Restaurants with great food at amazing prices
- Access a digital GP and other free health and wellbeing services
- Free on-site parking
- Financial Wellbeing - Save, track and enhance your financial wellbeing
- Apprenticeship - Grow and develop on the job whilst gaining a qualification
- Direct to Work - Discount online and instore, collect your items the next day for free from your place of work or local store
- Support Networks - Access to Network Groups to empower and celebrate each other
- Wellhub - Discounted flexible monthly gym memberships, with apps, PT sessions and more
Conditions
Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.
Support
We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email headoffice_careers@next.co.uk (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on 0116 284 2486 and leave a voicemail.
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