Designer - Color, Materials & Graphics, Footwear

Designs market-right and industry-leading footwear executions through colour, material, graphics and construction in cooperation with Marketing and Development. It sits within the Design team and works closely with Marketing, Development, Design team members and cross-category design counterparts. The role contributes to seasonal and long-term design direction for the category, covering footwear, footwear materials, silhouettes and graphics/print direction.

• Research and maintain awareness of information needed to design a consumer- and brand-relevant collection, using trade fairs, cultural and sporting events, athlete insights, trade publications, general interest press, trend services, fashion and sportswear magazines and websites, store checks
• Market visits, team travel, and forecast and sell-through data from Marketing.
• Assist in seasonal and long-term design direction for the category across footwear, footwear materials, silhouettes, and graphics/print direction.
• Contribute to design direction by providing trend forecasting content relevant to the consumer and brand, assisting the Material Team in developing materials, and working with local and global counterparts to provide category-relative colour and material direction when required.
• Support the M3/M2 Senior Team Lead in building content for collaborative stakeholders across Marketing, Product Managers, Designers, Key Account, and Inline, and proactively create product stories and concepts ahead of season for sharing and refinement with the wider team.
• Work closely with the category design team by providing colour and material content and direction, collaborating and critiquing, and understanding the technical details of the product.
• Build top-line range strategy into the product range, including supporting the Senior Team Lead by owning holistic category overviews, rollouts, and merchandising strategy, and supporting communication content to Footwear, Apparel, and Graphics Teams to align strategy.
• Support and inform horizontal brand moments and category moments by leading products, colour and material narratives/executions, and tiered rollout plans in partnership with Design, Marketing, and CTC.
• Design footwear colour and material executions for NAM iterations of Global Range and/or Key Account ranges with input from Design, Marketing, and Development, including seasonal prep and research, product design presentations both physical and digital, exploratory processes, colour CADs
• Material maps, and graphic maps.
• Visualise ideas for products and ranges with a high degree of expertise, consider the larger impact of a merchandised range, work closely with Development to assist in the development process and costing, meet development timelines and calendar deadlines per seasonal milestone
• And be open to travel to Asia for development trips.
• Assist in communicating inspiration and storytelling to Marketing.

• Bachelor degree (B.A.) from a college or university, majoring in Design, industrial product engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be substituted for the degree.
• Thorough knowledge of art and design with a clear understanding of visual design or any design-related environment.
• Three years of practical experience in a design environment (Footwear/Apparel/Accessories, or industrial design, fashion design, or similar design-related areas).
• Strong knowledge of fashion design/industrial product or industrial design.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Good knowledge of product development, material, and trims for the assigned product range.
• Passion for design.
• High level of creativity and storytelling through design.
• Knowledge and use of Macintosh computer design software/systems (Photoshop, Illustrator, PowerPoint/Keynote).
• Fluency in English, spoken and written.
• Understanding of brand history and current positioning.
• Understanding of the marketplace (footwear/streetwear/urban) history, consumer, and current positioning.
• Strong understanding of colour and material trends, application, and cycles.
• Ability to understand design concepts and think conceptually.

• Footwear design work/experience, such as upper pattern work or concept ideation, is a plus.

• Hybrid work policy requiring attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week; in-office attendance is required on Friday for work requiring a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation.
• The working location of this position is Portland, Oregon.
• The working language is English.

• Robust and progressive medical coverage, including HSA with employer funding or FSA options.
• Dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Adoption, surrogate, and fertility support.
• Short and long-term disability.
• Basic life and AD&D insurance.
• 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match.
• Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance.
• Generous leave policies, including 14 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Annual bonus based on company performance.
• Flexible time off accrual at 0.4388 hours per day, increasing with years of service.
• Twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
• Service Time Off during milestone years.

The company believes that embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into its culture and talent processes gives employees a sense of belonging and the brand a competitive advantage.