Senior Design Manager, Product Design

Position/ Title: Senior Design Manager, Product Design (potential design center lead)

Coalition & Brand: VF Japan

Function: Product Design

Geographic Scope: Global/Asia/Japan

Reporting Manager: Product Design Director (TDC Lead), VF Japan

Role & Responsibilities:

Position Definition (Key Purpose of the Position):

High quality product is no longer a differentiator in Japan; it’s an entry requirement.

This role is responsible for ensuring that concept, art direction and design are on-brand and on-strategy. The Designer focuses on the visual design of the project and works closely with product manager and other creative team members to conceptualize and develop integrated solutions.

Under the guidance of the Global direction, create apparel design for wear in alignment with seasonal Brand strategy in order to generate innovative and commercially viable product for Japan, Asia, and global. Constantly perfection and nurture design, color and material in collaboration with Development, Merchandising and Marketing teams.

From learning brand heritage archive to capture brand DNA of Style, Performance and Green where applicable. Ensure design practicality to meet business needs, create concepts and stories that build the brand through all mediums and delivers a unique experience aligned to the brand’s positioning. In addition, this role will work in partnership with product manager to oversee the creative brainstorming, design, and execution of tactics.

Key Result Areas:

• Develop industry leading creative solutions for assigned concept or category, to create a highly relevant, desirable and clear brand image, from 2D to retail to 3D digital.
• Develop a variety of concepts for each assignment that display diversity between them—attacking the creative problem from different points of view while producing concepts consistent with the brand strategy.
• Supervise the execution of new art such as photo-shoot, illustrations, digital imaging, research and selection of stock photography.
• Independent design apparel wear, commercially viable graphic design in the collection, and research color, fabric and trim at international and national fairs and exhibitions. Ensure style, fit, quality, detail requirements are right for the market.
• Work under the seasonal calendar milestones and product timelines, internal presentations on seasonal product design review meeting. To deliver accurate design sketch & design pack. Develop close partnership with Merchandising and Development team to deliver meaningful product and executions to serve Japan/Asia/Global distribution
• To foster an innovative, one VF mindset within the team.
• Be the front of marketplace reality and competition to ensure the relevant trends and innovations are filtered into collections.
• To work collaboratively to deliver the Quality Strategy.

Competency Requirements:

Behavioral Competencies -

• Start up mindset.
• Organizational, communication and presentation skills.
• Good team player, build good communication and partnership with external/internal stakeholders
• Demonstrates self-confidence, energy, and enthusiasm.
• Ability to solve problems quickly, think creatively, and satisfy Internet speed-to-market requirements.
• Engaged and committed team-mate; able to successfully operate in areas of uncertainty and ambiguity.
• To work collaboratively to deliver the Quality Strategy.
• Result-driven, Innovative thinking and customer-focused. self-starter and quick learner with continuous information monitoring.
• To work collaboratively to deliver the Quality Strategy.

Functional Competencies –

• Excellent application of design skills including pattern making, material knowledge, and graphic
• Appropriate software capabilities(illustrator/photoshop/PowerPoint)
• Strong sense of fashion in general. Experience with lifestyle, streetwear apparel or footwear brands a plus
• Successful management skill with external resources such as freelance or trading companies
• Demonstrate leadership.

Experience

• Minimum Relevant Experience: 5-8 years of Apparel Product Design with similar brand(s) or organization(s)

Academic Qualifications

• Minimum Degree Held: Bachelor’s degree or (equivalent) in Apparel or Consumer Product Design

Language Proficiency:

• Fluent in English is essential.

Specific Working Conditions

• Frequency of Travel: As required

*If the position requires a person to work in special working conditions this should be stated in the position description. Special working conditions cover a range of circumstances from regular evening and weekend work, shift work, working outdoors, working with challenging clients, and so forth

R-20250723-0013