Design Manager - Category Lead Jobs

Joseph Joseph

Location:
United Kingdom, London

Category:
IT - Software Development

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Not provided

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Job Description:

At Joseph Joseph, we are driven by a simple yet powerful belief — that intelligent design has the ability to transform everyday living. We create distinctive, thoughtfully engineered products that not only solve real-world problems but also bring joy, beauty, and functionality to daily life. Headquartered in London, we have grown into one of the world’s most admired houseware brands, with a presence in over 100 countries and partnerships with leading department stores, independent retailers, and a rapidly expanding e-commerce business. We are seeking a talented Design Manager – Category Lead to join our New Product Development team at Joseph Joseph. As the Category Lead, you will take end-to-end ownership of the Cookshop, Cookware and Cleaning & Organisation categories, reporting into our VP of Product Delivery and working closely with the Chief Creative Officer and cross-functional partners to deliver market-leading ranges on time and within budget.

Job Responsibility:

Set and execute the vision for Cookshop, Cookware and Cleaning & Organisation, identifying opportunities to innovate and grow each category
Develop and maintain category road-maps in line with seasonal critical paths and commercial objectives and build inherent category value
Accountable for multiple, fast-paced complex projects launching into a global marketplace
Resolve design details and drive development forward, ensuring on-time launches against tight timelines
Liaise directly with packaging designers and manufacturing suppliers to manage prototypes, samples and quality checks
Line-manage the existing Cookshop & Cookware designer, providing coaching, feedback and performance management
Mentor junior colleagues, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
Work with in-house and external designers, engineers and commercial teams to align on requirements, budgets and margin targets
Assess technical development issues, define scope for resolution, communicate options, and drive issues to closure
Ensure all projects remain within agreed budgets and product costs align with margin targets
Analyse category performance post-launch, identifying learnings and improvements for future ranges

Requirements:

An undergraduate (or master’s) degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
Significant product development experience, with a proven track record of delivering complex consumer goods from concept to manufacture
Demonstrable category-leadership skills: strategic thinking, roadmap planning and the ability to drive innovation
Experience managing, mentoring and developing design professionals, with the agility to support recruitment and handover processes
Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills, able to present ideas clearly to senior teams
Sound understanding of manufacturing techniques and processes, ideally with factory experience in the Far East
Proficiency in design applications such as Adobe CS and SolidWorks
A creative, entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to challenge conventional thinking while keeping ideas commercial

What we offer:

Competitive salary and holiday allowance
Company performance related bonus
A pension contribution
An exclusive staff discount
24/7 healthcare appointment support
Hybrid working – 3 days in office & 2 days from home and flex start/finish times
External private employee wellbeing support
Access to Perkbox
Volunteer days
Team Recognition scheme
Training and Development
Holiday carry-over scheme
Season-ticket travel loan
Cycle to work scheme
Parental Leave support
Holiday trading (buy/sell) and extra holiday days for long service

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
December 09, 2025

Employment Type:

Fulltime

Work Type:

Hybrid work

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Design Manager - Category Lead