FOOTWEAR DESIGNER
Location: LANX, Whalley, BB7 9YE
Job Type: Full-Time
About LANX:
About LANX:
LANX is a rapidly growing Lancashire based footwear brand. We take great pride in producing quality footwear for both men and women. Since launching on a local market stall in 2018 we have enjoyed rapid growth; with our team now 50 strong (and growing), we attend 20+ events each year, a shop in Manchester's popular Northern Quarter and official footwear suppliers to a host of sports teams including; Wales RU, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins and Wigan Warriors. We remain ambitious and are looking for new staff members to help the company grow and prosper in the years to come.
Overview:
We are looking for a Footwear designer to join our product team, to help develop LANX’s current range of men’s & women's footwear, and to work closely with the Merchandiser to ensure that our ranges fuel our ambitious growth plan. We have a small team here so we are offering a really great opportunity for someone to come and make their mark, whilst ensuring that all product-related operations are run efficiently and correctly.
Responsibilities:
- Brand alignment: gain a really coherent understanding of who the LANX customer is, and what LANX stands for, and reflect this in the products you design.
- Research: Research relevant areas of the market to gather insights into consumers, cultures, markets, competitor products, colour & material and emerging trends.
- Calendar: Working alongside Merchandiser to ensure new designs are completed for order placement with our partner factories.
- Range planning: Working with the Product Director and Merchandiser to interpret the seasonal creative direction and range plans for the year.
- New products: Creation of LANX-suitable designs across various footwear lines, for both men and women.
- Refine products: Combine your passion and drive with strong technical expertise, and understanding of our Brands and their customers, to ensure that our products consistently exceed expectations with regard to quality, performance, fit and design.
- New Materials: Colour and material sourcing to keep ranges fresh and exciting.
- Visual language: Produce detailed sketches, CADs, renderings, and tech packs, and proactively follow the execution of all product details, including construction, colour, and material.
- Communication: Conversing daily with our partner factories to ensure projects are progressing smoothly.
- Attention to detail: Signing off production samples to ensure the quality of stock arriving is as good as it can be.
- Due Diligence: Ensure all product designs adhere to legal requirements.
- Punctuality: Work independently and ensure that all Critical Path deadlines are met.
- Organisation: Keep files up to date and organised to ensure clear and accurate handovers.
Requirements/Skills
- A degree (or similar qualification) in a design based subject
- Excellent technical knowledge of footwear, including various material properties and shoe construction.
- Able to track and adhere to strict lead timelines
- Problem solving mindset
- Ability to multitask
- Strong hand sketching ability preferred but not required
- Excellent communication skills.
- Technical capability to confidently influence the business and provide on-the-spot solutions to any product related issues that might arise.
- Strong knowledge of consumer and footwear trends.
- Passionate and product-driven.
- Resilient in adapting to change.
- A boot-rich portfolio of mens & womens design projects.
- Experience working with factories (UK & overseas).
- Computer skills: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, excel.
- Own car and clean driving licence is preferred
EXPERIENCE:
- 5+ years footwear design experience..
PEOPLE YOU’LL BE WORKING WITH
Directly reporting to our Product Director
Working closely with the product team
Interact frequently with all of our partner factories.
YOU’LL BE RIGHT FOR LANX IF
We are a start up, and we’re looking for people who are ambitious, have a burning desire to learn, have an obsessive attention to detail, an entrepreneurial mindset and want to really make their mark on a business trying to do good. If you want to be part of a big team - this isn’t going to be right for you. Working in a startup is quite different. Start-ups are vibrant, fast paced, often hard work, but always incredibly rewarding.
WORKING DAYS & HOURS
Monday - Friday: 8.30am - 5pm
PLACE OF WORK
LANX, Whalley, BB7 9YE
ANNUAL LEAVE
- Permitted 28 days annual leave per year
- Permitted a maximum of 5 days of annual leave in October each year
- Not permitted to take annual leave in November, December and the first 2 weeks of January
- There may be a Christmas shut down in December for all staff, for which annual leave must be used, dates tbc
- Please note bank holidays are regarded as normal working days at LANX - however staff may request these as annual leave
MUST WORK
- Annual Sample Sale Weekend - (Usually March, date tbc)
- Summer Sale Weekend (Usually July, date tbc)
- 2 additional days around Black Friday
- For the above additional days annual leave will be granted, or you can be paid 1.5 your normal day rate
ANNUAL SALARY
- £35K - £45k Subject to experience
BENEFITS
- 40% off the full rrp on all LANX footwear
- 1x additional wellness day off per year - this comes in the form of a team bonding day
- Staff christmas party - all expense paid for
- In-house HR manager for support
- Company pension
- Heavily discounted gym membership
Pay: £35,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- Health & wellbeing programme
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Whalley, Lancashire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Footwear Desgin: 5 years (required)
- working in the footwear industry: 5 years (required)
Work Location: In person
