Design Manager – MP Activewear

Overview

As Design Manager for MP Activewear, you will lead a design team across Men’s, Women’s, and Accessories, shaping stylish, high-performance apparel. You’ll partner with product development, marketing, and buying to navigate the full design lifecycle from concept to production. Your work will blend trend-led creativity with commercial viability to strengthen MP’s position in activewear. This role offers the chance to influence collections, sustainability choices, and the brand’s direction in a fast-paced environment.

Pay / Benefits

• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Up to 10 days compassionate leave
• Volunteer leave up to 2 days
• On-site gym and physio
• Staff discount up to 50%

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the design team across Men’s, Women’s, and Accessories lines.
• Create innovative, trend-led collections aligned with brand values and target customers.
• Convey the creative vision and ensure brand briefs are executed.
• Research trends, fabrics, technologies, and sustainability to keep products current and market-leading.
• Collaborate with product development to meet technical, fit, and production requirements.
• Understand and manage the product development timeline and milestones.
• Present concepts to stakeholders and incorporate feedback to refine outputs.
• Work with buying to select materials balancing sustainability, quality, and cost.
• Monitor competitor activity and influencer trends to maintain a competitive edge.
• Participate in fittings and coordinate with production to ensure quality execution.

Key requirements

• Degree in Fashion Design or related field
• Minimum 5 years in clothing design with at least 2 in a management role
• Strong portfolio in performance/activewear design
• Knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, and technical design
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop)
• Ability to balance creativity with commercial insight
• Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration
• Passion for activewear and understanding of modern consumer needs
• Adaptable and proactive in a fast-paced environment

• leadership
• cross-functional collaboration
• communication
• Adobe Creative Suite
• garment construction knowledge
• technical design principles

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