Design Manager - Womens Apparel

Brighter Futures Start here

 
As Australia’s biggest and most loved retailer, we’ve been brightening up everyday life for families for over 50 years. At our stores, distribution centres, and offices in Australia and New Zealand. All around the globe. Our diverse and inclusive 55,000 strong team come together for a common cause. Giving families easy access to our on-trend products and incredibly low prices – it’s the heart of everything we do.

As a leader in the retail market, we’re optimistic about our future and yours. We’re relentless in our pursuit for results, but changing at a rapid rate, giving you challenging work that you’ll be proud of. We celebrate your uniqueness and individuality. Because at Kmart it’s not just what you do, it’s who you are that makes every day living brighter.
 

We have a rare opportunity for a Design Manager to make their mark within our Womenswear Department.

This is a unique role where we are looking for candidates who have a broad range of experience in multiple areas of apparel and a history of leading design teams.

We want you to lead the design teams to create fantastic product that brings memorable moments to our customers lives. This is such a great opportunity to shape and design desirable and on-trend product that really has impact!

The role of Design Manager - Womenswear plays an absolutely critical role within the Kmart business. This high-profile position sits at the heart of the success of our  Womenswear range, acting as the driving creative force behind a significant portion of our company's revenue.

Are you ready to leave your mark on the world of fashion? We’re offering an exclusive opportunity for a visionary Design Manager to lead our Womenswear Department into a new era of style and innovation!

As our new Design Manager, you’ll be the creative heartbeat behind our stunning Womenswear offering, crafting products that don’t just follow trends but set them. This is more than a job—it's a chance to make a lasting impact, bringing joy and unforgettable moments to our customers through impeccable design.

What you’ll be doing:

 
Reporting to the Head of Design and Forecast, you will be instrumental in setting, leading and co-ordinating our product vison trends to make everyday living brighter for our customers.

Some of the key responsibilities are (but not limited to):
 

•  Develop and inspire a high-performance team and culture
•  Establish objectives and strategies to collaborate with Merchandise Buying Teams to satisfy the target customer in line with business strategy
•  Set, lead and co-ordinate product vision trends within Apparel/GM
•  Identify, interpret and implement trends using global trends and market to add value through design and sales in line with Kmart handwriting
•  Visually articulate and effectively communicate the direction for the season
•  Support, collaborate and influence the Merchandise team to crate commercial, customer focused, co-ordinated product ranges that best reflect Kmart’s brand handwriting and     taste level
•  Continuous improvement of Trend process
•  Manages the end-to-end design process for womenswear, coaching the team to deliver outstanding results.

To be successful in this role:

We're looking for an experienced, collaborative and passionate design leader who has a real eye for commercial product as well as all things Retail! You love guiding and mentoring a team, customers are always front of mind and building and managing relationships with a variety of key stakeholders is one of your strengths. You may be a Design Manager already or a Senior Designer with experience in a large scale retailer who is looking to take the next step in their career and progress their excellent leadership skills.

The main tasks and capabilities of the Design Manager are as follows:

• Leads a High-Performing Team: The Design Manager oversees a team of 16 people, responsible for guiding and inspiring them to deliver exceptional work. Their leadership directly impacts the creativity and efficiency of the entire Womenswear design process.
• This role goes beyond just design. The Manager is a key decision-maker, strategically building ranges that resonate with our target audience and achieve commercial success. Their vision and expertise directly translate to driving sales and profitability.
• Connects the Dots Across the Business: Successful collaboration is essential. The Design Manager fosters strong relationships with various stakeholders, including Buyers, DMMs and the CMO. Their ability to communicate effectively and bridge the gap between design and other business functions is vital for ensuring a seamless product journey from concept to store shelves.
• In essence, the Design Manager - Womenswear is the creative leader and strategic mind behind our Womenswear ranges, their ability to inspire, 

We'd also love you to have:

• Strong experience within Design and Forecasting
• Proven experience in developing co-ordinated ranges as well as forecast and implement commercial trends
• Strong leadership and values that assists in making the Design function a great place to work and grow together
• Excellent ability to influence and collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills 

Benefits we’ll offer you:

• A dynamic learning and support program
• Competitive remuneration
• Flexible working through our Flex Where, Flex When, Flex Well policy
• A discount card for Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Bunnings, plus other benefits
• An inclusive, fun recognition program
• A bonus program (where eligible)
• Development opportunities across Kmart Group (comprised of Kmart, Target and Catch) as well as the broader Wesfarmers Group.
• Wesfarmers Share Plan access (where eligible)

 
At Kmart, we celebrate the rich diversity of the communities in which we operate and are committed to creating inclusive and safe environments where all our team members can contribute and succeed. We believe that all team members should feel valued, respected and safe irrespective of your gender, ethnicity, indigeneity, religious beliefs, education, age, disability, family responsibilities, sexual orientation and gender identity and we encourage applications from all candidates.

If you would like to explore a career with Kmart and this sounds like the perfect role for you – apply now!
 
Phone screening and interviews will occur prior to the closing date of this advertisement. Candidates interested in this position should apply directly to this advertisement as we are not accepting applications from recruitment agencies. As part of our recruitment process, we will be conducting Pre-Employment Checks with our successful candidates – this will include a police check. Talent Acquisition will provide further updates to candidates as they progress through our recruitment process.
 
We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.