Herbert Parkinson

Herbert Parkinson

We’re known for many things. But one of our hidden gems comes in the form of Herbert Parkinson. Founded in 1934, the John Lewis Partnership acquired this mill back in 1953 to produce an exclusive range of soft furnishing products.

Today it’s been modernised, so that it comprises of textile industry-leading flexible manufacturing facilities and allows us to make a wide variety of products. Herbert Parkinson allows the John Lewis Partnership to produce own-brand duvets, pillows, furnishing fabrics, ready-made and made-to-order curtains. To continue operating and evolving as we are, we are always looking to expand upon our team and this could be a fantastic opportunity for you to pursue a career in the textile industry.

Herbert Parkinson is located within half a mile of the M65 motorway link, just south of Blackburn in Darwen. Find out more about this special part of our business by visiting  www.herbertparkinson.co.uk. More information about job opportunities can be found below.

Opportunities

Herbert Parkinson offers a wide range of opportunities to suit your skills; we recruit for Sewing Machinists, General Operatives, Department Managers, Maintenance Technicians, Section Managers and Administration Assistants to name a few. Read on to discover what some of these textile jobs entail.

Sewing machinist jobs

A sewing machinist is an integral part of Herbert Parkinson and how we operate on a daily basis. You will be responsible for stitching and sewing our own-brand garments to the standard our customers come to expect. You will work as a part of tightly knit team in our modern facilities and will require you to have excellent communication skills with other textile engineers, pattern cutters and designers to deliver ready-made and made to order garments.

At Herbert Parkinson, inexperienced and experienced sewing machinists are required and welcomed – offering on the job training and guidance where possible. Having previous experience will allow you to integrate easier into the operations, however having these skills are necessary:


  • Knowledge of fabrics and textiles


  • Able to work quickly, efficiently and under pressure


  • Confidence in working with a sewing machine


  • Excellent teamwork and communication


  • Have an eye for detail and colour

General operative jobs

In our mill, general operatives are crucial in supporting the daily operations that our sewing machinists, section managers and department managers rely on. Collating detailed records of where and what materials are located in our warehouse, timely distribution of our garments to our John Lewis stores and being responsible for workplace health and safety procedures are all general operative duties amongst others.

There are no specific requirements to apply for a general operative job other than you will need to complete a health and safety course. Having these general operative skills will set you apart from the rest:


  • A solution-focused mindset


  • Critical thinker


  • Able to work in a team


  • Good communication skills


  • Organised and efficient

Department Manager jobs

With many moving parts, the need for department managers is vital to the continuous production of our own brand fabric products. As a department manager you will be required to oversee the day to day operations of the Herbert Parkinson department you have been assigned to. You will be responsible for the motivation of your team and the development of their skills through training exercises. You will need to encourage a positive work ethic and ensure constant delivery in line with our customer’s standards.

As you will be occupying a generally Partner facing role you will need to have these skills that will elevate you to the high standards that we expect:

  • Have excellent personal skills
  • Have previous managerial experience
  • Able to communicate clearly and consistently
  • Good time, project and people management skills
  • Be trustworthy and reliable

One thing you can be sure of when working in Herbert Parkinson is the friendliness of our Partners and the support they’ll give you. Welcoming you with open arms to the HP family.

If you’d like to be part of this exciting and unique branch of John Lewis, click here to view our current vacancies.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for right now, be alerted of future vacancies by registering for job alerts here. You’ll need to set up an account with our application system, Workday first.