■Recruitment Background:
Under the slogan “YOUR FREEDOM: The freedom to reinvent yourself,” GU offers fashion that everyone can enjoy, leveraging its strengths in trends, price, and speed.
In 2026, Francesco Risso—who has earned global acclaim—will assume the role of Creative Director at GU. Building on the manufacturing foundation GU has cultivated, the brand is stepping into its next phase, driven by a clearer creative vision and the development of high-quality products.
Even amidst prerequisites such as mass-producibility, reproducibility, and value for money, there is a greater demand than ever for planning, development, and design capabilities that view these constraints not as limitations but as new challenges, and successfully bring products to market.
Within the R&D organization, you will work closely with related departments such as Merchandising, Production, and Material Development. Building on a deep understanding of pricing, costs, and production contexts, you will be responsible for enhancing product quality without compromising the creative vision.

■ Department Overview:
GU’s R&D Department is a product development organization dedicated to bringing the brand message “YOUR FREEDOM” to life through our products. It comprises designers and patternmakers from all departments selling at GU—including Men’s, Women’s, Kids, and Merchandise—who work tirelessly every day to deliver fashion that all customers can enjoy worldwide.
We handle everything from market and trend research to material selection, specification design, and product development with an eye toward mass production. While prioritizing price, quality, and speed, we deliver products that balance fashion and practicality to customers around the world.

■Job Description
Focusing on grading operations, you will be responsible for improving quality, strengthening partnerships with partner factories, establishing company-wide grading rules, and planning and proposing new ideas.
　(1) Size grading for women’s and men’s items
　(2) Formulation of company-wide grading rules
　(3) Deepening relationships with partner factories, including assigning tasks and providing feedback on finished products
You will also gather information on overseas markets and make proposals regarding next-generation product development.
*The Job Description may change within the scope of duties related to various headquarters departments due to department transfers or organizational changes.

■Position Highlights
・You will work in an environment where the products you develop can be enjoyed not only in Japan but by people all over the world. There is also the possibility of overseas business trips.
・We maintain close ties with other departments, such as the Merchandising, Marketing, and Production departments, fostering an environment where it is easy to exchange ideas and communicate. This is an opportunity to achieve significant results through teamwork.
・In addition to deepening your expertise, there are opportunities to take on leadership and management roles in the future, depending on your abilities, aptitude, and motivation.

■ Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience
・Experience in grading for women’s and men’s apparel (5+ years)
・Experience with apparel-specific CAD software

■ Ideal Candidate
・Individuals with a strong desire for growth and a keen interest in grading work, who wish to build a career as a specialist active in the global market

■Desirable Knowledge/Skills/Experience
・Experience in independently establishing grading rules
・Candidates with experience not only in grading but also in patternmaking
・Language proficiency is not required, but candidates must be willing to acquire English skills beyond basic conversational level

*During the selection process, you may be asked to submit past design sketches, samples, or other work.

■Company Name: GU Co., Ltd.

■Employment Type: Contract Employee (Fixed-term contract with a 3-month probationary period)
(Depending on performance and evaluations during the first year of the contract, if you meet our criteria for regular employment, we will consider hiring you as a regular employee starting from the second year.)
* The contract for fixed-term employment will expire after one year and will not be renewed.
* If you are not hired as a regular employee, the employment contract will terminate upon the expiration of the contract term

■Annual Salary
・Annual Salary Range: 4.25–8.64 million yen (Monthly Salary: 280,000–540,000 yen)
・Allowances: Commuting allowance, overtime pay, etc. (※All subject to company regulations)
・Bonuses: Semi-annual bonuses twice a year, year-end bonus (eligibility and amount determined based on company performance and performance evaluations)
・Promotions twice a year (determined based on performance evaluations)
*Salary will be determined based on company regulations, taking into account your previous annual income and experience, and is not limited to the figures listed above.

■ Working Hours
Either standard working hours or a flex-time system
(Determined based on job duties, expected role, and assigned department; details will be provided during the final interview)

・Standard Work Hours System
8 hours of actual work and 1-hour break between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM

・Flexible Work Hours System
Standard daily working hours: 8 hours; Break: 1 hour
Core hours: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Flexible hours: 6:00 AM–9:00 AM and 2:00 PM–8:00 PM (Overtime may apply)

■ Holidays and Leave
Two days off per week (Saturdays and Sundays) Annual paid leave, special leave (including bereavement leave), childcare and nursing care leave systems, etc.
*Whether public holidays are also considered days off in addition to the days off listed above will be specified individually in the contract for part-time employees
*In addition to paid leave, special leave is granted in the first and second halves of the fiscal year (the number of days granted varies depending on employment status and the company to which the employee belongs)

■Insurance Coverage
Social Insurance (Health Insurance, Employees' Pension Insurance, Employment Insurance, Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance)

■ Employee Benefits
Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Mutual Aid Association, Partnered Welfare Programs, Employee Discount Program, Cafeteria, Dedicated Shuttle Bus (for commuting to the Ariake Office), Defined Contribution Pension Plan (Full-time employees only)

■Other
・We actively recruit mid-career professionals across our group companies (Fast Retailing, UNIQLO, GU, etc.). We would appreciate it if you could review the information below and consider applying.
- You may apply to multiple companies within the Fast Retailing Group simultaneously. However, please note that even if the selection process proceeds at multiple companies, you can only advance to the final selection stage for one position at a time.
- Based on your submitted resume and interview evaluations, we may suggest other positions or companies within the Fast Retailing Group.

・Measures against secondhand smoke: Smoking is generally prohibited on the premises and indoors, and we do not have designated smoking rooms. (Smoking is prohibited during working hours, including break times.)

Tokyo Ariake Office (UNIQLO CITY TOKYO)
*Your location may be changed to a location designated by the company, including overseas locations.