Job Title: Assistant CAD Designer

Responsible to: Senior Designer

Department: Design – Hawick Mill

Hours: Maternity Cover – Fixed Term for 12 Months, 38 hours per week Monday to Friday - working on site.

Main Purpose: Use Shima Seiki Apex Design suite to create 3D CADs for knitwear and knitted accessories. These are realistic rendered simulations that accurately show the product, stitch for stitch, as it would look in real life. Working closely with the design team and knitwear technicians to create knit CADs – this method of working speeds up production by making design decisions on screen before knitting.

Our Scottish Borders-based Hawick Research & Design Centre is situated in our knitwear mill, where we have the latest state of the art Shima Seiki knitting machines, significant technical development and sampling resource. We are recognised as the go-to Scottish manufacturer for the world’s leading couture houses and are continually progressing our own brand journey at the same time.

About the Role:

• CAD designer for knitted garments and accessories.
• Use Shima Seiki Apex Design suite to create 3D CADs for knitwear and knitted accessories. These are realistic rendered simulations that accurately show the product, stitch for stitch, as it would look in real life.
• Working closely with the design team and knitwear technicians to create knitted accessories and knitwear CADS.
• Applying knowledge of different yarns, gauges, stitch structures, tension properties, production methods, constructions, costings and gradings.
• Design drawing skills – create artworks based on customer sketches ready for knit technician to program
• Good eye for colour – matching yarn colour swatches to create virtual palettes
• Virtual yarn creation
• Creating cad presentation overviews to show colourways or design options.

Key qualities we are looking for:

• Trained on Apex Design suite (desirable) or willing to learn Apex Design software.
• Have technical knitwear knowledge, following a design (or other relevant) degree to support this.
• Have a flexible, can do approach.
• Be enthusiastic and willing to learn new skills and techniques.
• Have excellent IT skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Microsoft Office and Clo 3D (desirable).
• Have the ability to manage several tasks and projects simultaneously whilst prioritising workload.
• Have excellent organisational skills with a high attention to detail.
• Be a confident communicator that enjoys working with a variety of people.
• Passionate about delivering a high standard of quality

Additional Duties

Perform any additional or alternative duties as requested by the Director[s] as is reasonably expected within the role.

About Us

Founded in 1797, Johnstons of Elgin is an innovative, luxury clothing brand celebrating 225 years of experience in working with the world’s finest fibres. Across three centuries, our family-owned company has carefully sources cashmere and fine woollen fibres from around the world, applying the latest technology and highest quality craft expertise in our very own vertical Scottish mills. Employing over 1,000 staff, our valued employees and communities are at the heart of everything we do, producing unique, high-quality designs that are made to last. Our brand is focused on sustainability, working with natural, renewable, and biodegradable fibres and we are committed to maintaining a minimal environmental footprint.

Johnstons of Elgin is proud to be an equal opportunity employer wholeheartedly supporting the principles of equality and diversity to build an inclusive workforce. Our aim is to embed diversity and inclusion in everything we do to create an environment where our employees feel safe to be their whole authentic self without having to downplay or change parts of their identity. We celebrate diversity in all its forms, which goes beyond those characteristics protected by law to include everything that makes us unique, from our backgrounds and experiences to our personalities and ways of thinking.

We endeavour to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and encourage any candidate who requires assistance to contact us at hr@johnstonsofelgin.com.

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement or qualification. At Johnstons of Elgin, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but think your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Interested?
If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, we’d love to hear from you! Join us at Johnstons of Elgin, where tradition meets innovation, and be part of a team that values craftsmanship and quality above all.
Please note: All applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK.

Closing date 1 July 2026