Job Description

Home. There\'s no place like it. And there\'s no feeling like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home.

At Dunelm, that\'s what we do.

We\'re the UK\'s number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. And the caring and supportive culture we\'ve created makes this a place you\'ll feel right at home too.

Design Team

Design are responsible for the design and development of exciting new product ranges to drive sales and wow our customers with sustainability and circular design at its heart. They continually research new trends in product design, consumer lifestyle, colour forecasting and new materials. They produce the creative direction for all categories each season which are then incorporated into department strategies.

Role Summary:

We are a hugely collaborative team of designers, each striving to create collections and ranges that co-ordinate perfectly together in the home.

With a love of all thing\'s textiles, pattern and colour, this role will assist both the textiles and hard good teams on print and pattern and woven fabric development.

PLEASE ATTACH YOUR PORTFOLIO TO YOUR CV OR EMAIL TO

We recruit people from all types of backgrounds, who share our entrepreneurial, hands-on approach to work. We are committed to creating a full inclusive environment that is representative of our customers and locations. We recognise the value and importance in inclusion and diversity and welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of sex, age, race, religion, disability, neuro-diversity, gender or sexual identity, socio-economic background or education.

What you\'ll be doing

What this role requires of you:

A varied and creative role, responsibilities will cover the following:

• Work directly with the design team on the generation of pattern across departments.
• Work closely with the Window and Upholstery designer on the construction and briefing of new seasonal fabric developments.
• Work alongside the studio team to organise swatches, samples, and artwork printouts for meetings throughout the season.
• Input ideas into seasonal and promotions trend packs, including the formatting of the packs themselves.
• Help with creative administration such as pulling together trend packs, collating notes, updating display boards and sample postage.
• Keep up to date with competition and conduct thorough inspirational research and present this to the line manager.
• Assist the studio team in stock checking and ordering of stationary for the design area.

What we\'ll look for in you

Essential skills:

• A creative eye with a real passion for design and homewares.
• An exciting portfolio demonstrating curated research, creative colour sense and original print and pattern work.
• Highly organised, with clear ability to be able to prioritise workload.
• Good attention to detail.
• Curiosity and willing to listen and learn.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
• Microsoft toolset (Office, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams)

Work your way

We have adapted our ways of working to make sure everyone can feel at home wherever they work. For most roles, we offer flexible working options. For many colleagues at our Head Office in Leicester and our Central London hub that now includes working on a hybrid basis, combining days in the office with time spent working at home or elsewhere across the business.

Wellbeing is more than just a buzzword here

From our Wellbeing Buddies and Mental Health First Aid training to our progressive parental leave, menopause policies and Colleague Support Fund, we\'re committed to supporting our colleagues in every area - and at every stage - of their lives. Through our partnership with the Retail Trust, everyone at Dunelm has free access to a 24/7 Virtual GP, as well as therapy and counselling, plus information, guidance and advice in all areas of financial, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Look in our toy box

Of course, you should never judge a business by its tech stack. But take a peek at the range of technologies our engineers and developers are currently playing with.

Dazzling design

At Dunelm, we love every aspect of the design process. We\'re continually researching new developments in packaging, materials and production methods, tapping into new data insights and keeping track of changing lifestyle trends. We\'re hugely collaborative in the way we work. Together, the teams here have a direct impact on our success, creating amazing products that drive sales and delight our customers, as well as providing direction for our wide and varied range of brands.

Where you\'ll
be working

Here is where you\'ll be based, whether that\'s an office, or store or one of our sites.

Keep on growing

We want you to get as much out of working with us as possible. That\'s why we\'ll do everything we can to engage you in the process of learning, and encourage you to explore new opportunities around your particular skills and interests. For you, this includes:

Housewarming & Settling In where you can find out more about the wider business, our culture, behaviours, networks and wellbeing support

Thrive, our learning and skills platform which gives you a blended, bite-sized, social learning experience with learning relevant to your role

Our Enterprise Leadership Programme designed specifically for our strong growth potential Heads of Department to help them reach the next level in their career

Our INSPIRE Programme designed for our strong growth potential senior managers across the business to enhance their leadership capability

Our Core Leadership Programme designed to prepare our next generation of Line Managers

Personal Effectiveness workshops and self-led learning, also delivered through Thrive

Apprenticeships opportunities relevant to your role - from level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) through to Level 7 (equivalent to Masters)

Colleague Development Fund to support colleagues in accessing external training relevant to your role

Coaching and mentoring opportunities to support you in your current role and help you prepare for the next

Functional academies that offer training to support you in the technical aspects of your role

Self-awareness tools to help you understand what really matters to you, and where your own talents and ambitions lie

Progress conversations that reflect on how you\'re doing and define your focus areas for the coming months

Career conversations that explore what you want from your career, in light of your current capabilities, potential and future aspirations

Meet your team

Meet your team

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"I\'ve been given the opportunity to broaden my buying abilities in numerous areas."

Georgia, Buyer

Meet your team

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"One of the best bits of my role is planning for up-coming launches. It\'s always challenging and always exciting."

Lacey, Merchandiser

Meet your team

I\'m in my happy place when\xe2\x80\xa6

"There\'s a fantastic culture here, which I find really empowering. If you have a bright idea, you can run with it."

Gillian, Packaging Manager

Meet your team

I\'m in my happy place when\xe2\x80\xa6

"If you want to work from home in your PJs, you can. And if you want to bring your slippers to the office, that\'s fine too."

Eleanor, Junior Buyer

Rewards you deserve

Along with competitive salaries, we offer a range of other great benefits to recognise the unique contribution you bring.

Salary Advance so you can access up to 50% of the money you\'ve earned during the month, rather than having to wait until pay day

Instant discounts with a range of other companies to help you stretch your budget

Pension contributions to help you save for your retirement

ShareSave scheme that enables you to save monthly and buy Dunelm shares at a discounted rate, building up your investments for a rainy day

Continuous training and coaching to ensure you feel confident in your current role and ready for any new challenges

Access to wellbeing support as and when you need it, including an online GP for you and your immediate family

Colleague networks that give everyone a voice and create an environment where we all feel at home

Outstanding development opportunities and all the support you need to grow your career the way you want

33 days annual holiday plus your birthday off to celebrate, and another day when you move home, so you can get settled in

Generous discounts on all our own products, in-store and online to help you make your house a home

Cycle to work scheme to help you keep your fitness up and your travel costs down

Charity day off (paid, of course) so you can volunteer for a charity that matters to you

Free on-site parking (excluding London office) and good public transport links

How did we get here?

Today, Dunelm is a leader in the \xc2\xa311bn UK homewares market. With over 170 stores across the country and a successful online operation - dunelm.com - we offer over 60,000 products across a broad range of categories. But where did it all begin?

1979

Founder, Bill Adderley and his wife Jean take on a stall in Leicester Market selling curtains. Within a month, they make 600% profit.

1984

First bricks-and-mortar store founded in Churchgate, Leicester.

1988

With momentum growing, first flagship store opens in Leicester, East Street, offering warehouse facilities for expansion across the region.

1991

First superstore opens in Rotherham, offering premium brands such as Dorma, which the company goes on to acquire.

1996

Bill\'s son Will is appointed CEO of the company, following in his father\'s footsteps.

1999

Now a household name in the Midlands, Dunelm Mill opens a head office with warehouse facilities in Syston, Leicestershire.

2001

The acquisition of a small custom-made curtains business marks the start of Dunelm\'s made-to-measure service.

2002

A landmark year as Dunelm Mill opens its 50th store and a new central warehouse in Burton. The company goes on to open new stores at a rate of 10 each year.

2005

A fully shoppable website goes live, with a dedicated warehouse below our Radcliffe store

2006

Dunelm floated on the London Stock Exchange, marking the beginning of a new era for the company.

2010

In Liverpool, the company opens its 100th store, having celebrated its 30th birthday in 2009.

2011

To accommodate continued growth, Dunelm builds a new head office in Syston.

2013

Company rebrands from \'Dunelm Mill\' to \'Dunelm\' - reflecting what our customers have called us for years.

2016

Our family grew to include Worldstores.

2018

Nick Wilkinson joins the business as our new CEO.

2021

To accommodate our continued growth, Dunelm opens a fourth warehouse in Daventry.

2022

Launch of our \'Conscious Choice\' collection - homeware that lasts longer and is made from more sustainable materials.

2022

Our third Delivering Joy Christmas campaign, with stores supporting over 700 local community causes and donating more than 61,000 gifts.

How to apply

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Our application process

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FAQs

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Dunelm