Trend and Design Manager, Remuneration: negotiable Market related, Location: Cape Town, Northen suburbs, Education level: Degree, Job level: Management Snr, Own transport required: Yes, Travel requirement: Occasional, Type: Permanent, Company: PEP A Division of Pepkor Trading, DEPARTMENT: Merchandise. Want to part of the journey to make one of South Africa’s leading retailer’s customers look and feel good Does creating authentic, inspired products ignite your passion?

If you are resilient, creative, efficient and a confident individual looking to: Execute the company’s trend and design strategy. Continuously providing trend direction that is translated for our local markets. Lead and enable a product-led business that is aligned with business strategy. Provide a sought after customer design and product proposition. This newly created leadership role is the perfect platform to create a legacy and in turn, will provide the ideal candidate with an exciting and challenging opportunity to lead a team, influence product decisions and direction as part of the Merchandise department’s long term strategic objectives.

In addition, this role will require working collaboratively and giving cross-functional input into other functions, like Buying, VM, digital and sourcing. Be part of giving input in developing a creative vision for the brand to achieve PEP’s distinct customer offering through a satisfying end-to-end customer shopping experience. Key responsibilities include: Provide leadership to the trend and design team aligned to PEP values and leadership philosophy. Lead the trend and design functions by delivering the correct interpretation of product information, market trends and seasonal direction for the various departments. Supporting design to interpret these into commercial, differentiated ranges in line with brand handwriting. Identifying winning styles through analysis of current trade on a regular basis and ensure design updates on these are sent to buying and other stakeholders in order to enable a quick response / short lead-time model.

Implementing the product development process through upfront design translating runway trends to commercial and brand right styles. Collaborating with sourcing and product technology to develop new season samples upfront and in line with the critical path. Presenting regular trend and design reports to buying and marketing teams. Conducting overseas travel to keep up with the current trend, bring new ideas through and collaborating with the merchandise team to ensure the best result with range building. Presenting in-depth pre-and post-trip reports to key stakeholders on what is trending in the international retail markets. Managing in-house and freelance design and trend resources to ensure all briefs are completed and deadlines are met in accordance with the critical path. Constantly shopping competitors to understand the market, making sure design provides differentiation, and PEP is best in the discount market. Budget management: Presenting seasonal marketing trends and interpreting these into a PEP brand fit Building an effective creative team, setting goals, objectives and timely execution by leading the effort. Stakeholder influencing

Requirements: Job-related knowledge and skills. A comprehensive knowledge/understanding of SA’s retail clothing and non-clothing market, customers and competitors. Good judgment, together with strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities. The ability to influence across various levels and functions within the business. The ability to communicate effectively at all levels both within, as well as outside the company. A flair/eye for product and building ranges to current trends. Excellent interpersonal, people management, team management and leadership skills. Sound strategic thinking skills, as well as the ability to formulate functional objectives related to business strategy. Exceptional planning, organising and time management skills.

Conflict management and networking skills. Emotional maturity and resilience and a positive can-do attitude. Qualifications and level of experience required. Trend/design experience of which at least five years at a senior level within a clothing and footwear retail environment (Ladies/Men’s Fashion). Senior managerial experience with an understanding of the inner workings, product strategies and philosophies of a retail business. An integral understanding of the Clothing Retail Cycle and Buying process. Proven experience in developing a strategy and implementing strategic interventions within a rapidly changing global and local context. Relevant Tertiary qualification, Degree or Diploma in e.g. Fashion Design. QA knowledge.

NOTE: Never make payment to any employer, person, company, contractor or agency to get hired for a Job.

Apply Vanessa Ashlin: vanesash@pepstores.com