Design Industrial Placement 2025

We are looking for a placement student to join our Womenswear Design team for a 12-month period from September 2025.

The Design role involves creating exciting, commercial, fashion-relevant collections which our customers will love. Our Design team is collectively responsible for the design & development of women’s, men’s and homeware collections.

This involves analysing, identifying and interpreting the latest catwalk and lifestyle trends, creating seasonal colour palettes, through to designing and developing the clothing ranges. Our Designers work closely with the Buying and QA teams to ensure all new designs work at both departmental level and as a coordinated collection.

What will you do as a Design Industrial Placement at N Brown?

• Supporting delivering key trends, colour and print direction by providing co-ordination and administration of design materials, imagery, samples and tracking of activity.
• Helping to ensure that the right level of newness is achieved to create exciting ranges and identify new, developing trends.
• Supporting the team on technical drawing and spec sheets.
• Working with the team to re-colour and re-work existing designs.
• Supporting in creating new designs in line with competitors and future trends.
• Preparation, analysis and presentation of research on specific products; providing competitor assessments and shopping reports.
• Creation of and system management of design information.
• Attending and contributing to the regular departmental creative meetings and providing updates on work activities.

What skills and experience will you have?

• We’re looking for an aspiring Designer on a related degree course with excellent womenswear knowledge.
• Ideally, you’ll also have some knowledge of design systems, CAD, Photoshop and Illustrator and an interest in print and pattern.
• Some knowledge of repeats and printing techniques would be an advantage.
• You’ll be innovative, flexible, creative and forward thinking with excellent time management and an organised and planned approach to your work.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, along with the ability to build effective and professional relationships with your Design colleagues as well as the wider Product team.

What’s in it for you?

• 24 days holiday (+ 8 bank holidays) with the option to buy an additional 10 days
• Annual bonus scheme
• Enhanced maternity and adoption leave
• Access to Apricity, a self-funding IVF benefit at a reduced rate
• Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution
• Mental Health support both internally and externally, including access to our wellbeing champions and counselling services
• A range of financial wellbeing support
• Colleague discount across all N Brown brands
• Onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts!
• Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance
• Paid volunteer time – all our colleagues can take a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice

N Brown – who we are and why work for us?

At N Brown, we’re committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment that values equality for all. Our vision is that by ‘championing inclusion, we’ll become the most loved and trusted fashion retailer’. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging are, therefore, at the heart of our culture.

We’re a forward-thinking digital retailer with a financial services proposition to be proud of. We’re customer-obsessed, serving them through three core brands: JD Williams, Simply Be, and Jacamo. We’re experienced, with over 160 years of trading under our belt. We’re inclusive, as we believe in fashion without boundaries; and we’re sustainable, striving to make as little impact on the planet as possible.

In May 2024 we were delighted to be named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024. We work hard to create a happy and inclusive culture for everyone and we’re so proud to have made this list - as voted for by our very own colleagues!

Ways of working

We offer hybrid working which varies across the business depending on the role you’re in. Our Head Office is located in the Northern Quarter in Manchester City Centre. So if you are travelling by train, tram or bus we’re perfectly located, plus we’re surrounded by cool cafes, trendy bars and the best places to eat!

Our full-time working hours are 36.17 per week over 5-days. We don’t have strict working hours therefore there is some flexibility around start and finish times as long as you are meeting the needs of the business.

Our promise to you

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

How to apply

To apply please submit your current CV. Please also email a maximum of 5 examples from your portfolio to emerging.talent.careers@nbrown.co.uk with your name and “Design Placement – Womenswear Application” in the subject line of the email. Please note – we will not except anything more than 5 examples.

• Applications will close on 15th November 2024
• If your application is successful, then you will be invited to a face-to-face interview. This will be in early December and following this, you will be notified of the outcome within 2 weeks.