Key Responsibilities

A. Design Strategy & Direction

- Develop and implement the overall design strategy in alignment with brand positioning, target customers, and business goals.
- Define seasonal design direction, themes, colour palettes, silhouettes, prints, materials, and product aesthetics, as applicable.
- Conduct trend forecasting and market research to identify emerging trends, customer preferences, and competitive developments.
- Ensure the design portfolio remains relevant, differentiated, and commercially viable.
- Establish design standards and processes to maintain consistency across collections and product categories.

B. Product Design & Development

- Lead the complete design development lifecycle, from research, concept creation, and mood boards to final design approvals.
- Oversee sketches, technical specifications, artwork, prototypes, samples, and design presentations, as relevant to the product category.
- Ensure designs meet quality expectations, cost parameters, product specifications, and development timelines.
- Collaborate with relevant teams to evaluate design feasibility, material availability, costing, and production requirements.
- Review samples and product developments, provide feedback, and ensure timely closure of design-related issues.
- Drive continuous improvement in design development processes and reduce unnecessary revisions and delays.

C. Team Leadership & Development

- Lead, manage, and mentor the design team, ensuring clear role allocation, accountability, and performance standards.
- Establish work plans, project priorities, and timelines for design deliverables.
- Review team output and provide constructive feedback to improve creativity, quality, and productivity.
- Identify skill gaps and support the professional development of team members.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, ownership, and continuous learning.

D.



Cross-Functional Coordination

- Work closely with Buying & Planning and Merchandising teams to align collections with business plans, product requirements, customer demand, and price points.
- Coordinate with Production, Sourcing, Quality, and vendors, wherever applicable, to ensure design feasibility and execution.
- Collaborate with E-Retail and Marketing teams on product presentation, catalogue requirements, campaign assets, and product launches, where relevant.
- Participate in range planning and product review meetings to provide design inputs and recommendations.
- Ensure timely communication and resolution of design-related dependencies across departments.

E. Quality & Design Governance

- Establish and maintain design review, approval, and documentation processes.
- Ensure designs comply with approved briefs, specifications, brand guidelines, and quality standards.
- Review final samples and design outputs before approval for production or launch.
- Monitor recurring design issues and implement corrective measures to improve execution quality.
- Ensure proper management of design files, technical documentation, samples, and seasonal archives.

F. Commercial & Business Alignment

- Balance creativity with commercial objectives, customer expectations, target margins, and cost considerations.
- Support range planning by recommending product mix, design variations, and collection direction.
- Analyse sales feedback, customer responses, market trends,



and product performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Recommend design rationalisation, product extensions, and new opportunities based on business requirements.
- Monitor design team productivity, project timelines, and resource utilisation.

4. Qualifications & Experience

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Product Design, or a relevant discipline.
- Typically 10–12 years of relevant design experience, including substantial experience in leading a design team.
- Experience in fashion, apparel, lifestyle, retail, or a related product-based business is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in seasonal collection development, trend forecasting, product design, and execution.
- A strong portfolio showcasing design capabilities, commercial understanding, and product development expertise.

5. Key Skills & Competencies

- Strong design sensibility, creativity, and trend awareness.
- Expertise in design development and product lifecycle management.
- Leadership, team management, and decision-making skills.
- Commercial acumen and understanding of costing and product margins.
- Robust planning, coordination, and project management abilities.
- Effective communication and stakeholder management.
- Proficiency in relevant design software and tools.
- Ability to manage multiple collections, projects, and deadlines.

6. Role Expectations

The Design Head will be accountable for the overall performance of the design function, ensuring that the team delivers high-quality, market-relevant, and commercially viable products within defined timelines. The role requires a balance of creative leadership, operational discipline, people management, and cross-functional collaboration to support the organisation's growth objectives.

📌 Head of Design (Noida)
🏢 KAZO Brands
📍 Noida