The posting
Senior Design Manager, Men’s Tops & Bottoms Apparel
Now that you’ve found the job description, what’s next?
At The North Face we dare to lead the world forward through Exploration. We were born to Explore, Disrupt and to Lead. We were born to Love Wild Places and to Spark Curiosity. We believe that exploration is a mindset, both on the mountain and off the mountain, and it infuses everything we do. As a community of explorers, we stay curious about new ideas, places, and people.
So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us, our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of adventure-loving people, The North Face just may be the place for you.
To learn more about our values and our culture, visit The North Face Careers or The North Face.
What will you do?
A day in the life of a Senior Design Manager, Men’s Tops & Bottoms Apparel at The North Face looks a little like this.
- You will lead and elevate the design expression for Men’s Tops & Bottoms, creating best-in-class product with a high level of aesthetic competence and a strong point of view. You are a highly influential member of the design team who balances strong creativity with the ability to deliver, setting direction and driving design decisions across the category.
- You will lead seasonal research and insights, concepts, design direction, presentation tools and key design deliverables for the category, ensuring the work connects brand vision with consumer and business needs.
- You will drive and inspire design ideas across the team, with a focus on craftsmanship and excellence. You are highly experienced in presenting design work to senior audiences in a compelling and persuasive way and are comfortable giving clear, objective and constructive feedback.
- You will provide creative direction, mentorship and guidance to designers, helping elevate individual capabilities as well as the overall quality and consistency of the team’s design output.
- You will bring a highly advanced understanding of brand aesthetic and DNA, materials and technologies, fit and silhouette, translating these into relevant and distinctive product that supports consumer and business needs.
- You will bring a strong understanding of the needs of outdoor apparel, combined with an elevated taste level and strong knowledge of the competitive landscape, using those insights to identify opportunities and push the category forward.
- You will partner closely with Merchandising, Product, Development and other cross-functional partners, influencing decisions and ensuring the creative vision is maintained from concept through commercialization.
What do you need to succeed?
We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundational skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. While formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your experience, professional achievements and demonstrated design leadership.
The foundational skills you will need in this position are:
- 10+ years of experience in athletic / outdoor / sportswear / men’s apparel design, with strong expertise relevant to Men’s Tops & Bottoms.
- Demonstrated experience providing creative direction, mentoring designers and elevating design output across a team or category.
- Exceptional product acumen with comprehensive knowledge of apparel product development processes, including design, development, sourcing and manufacturing.
- Advanced knowledge and understanding of apparel construction, with strong flat sketching and illustration expertise.
- Understanding of, and ideally active participation in, some of the activities / sports you are designing for.
- Advanced hands-on experience with Adobe Creative Suite and CAD software. 3D software and AI image-generation experience (Clo / Browzwear / Vizcom / Midjourney) is a plus but not required.
- Comprehensive knowledge and experience creating high-quality, detailed tech packs.
- Comprehensive knowledge of cost engineering and the ability to design to cost while maintaining the integrity of the creative vision.
- Advanced experience in fitting, with a strong understanding of category silhouette needs for sport and an elevated sense of aesthetic.
- Strong experience developing performance materials, trims and color palettes.
- Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence and build alignment around a creative vision.
- Strong communication and influencing skills across design, cross-functional partners, vendors and senior stakeholders.
- Comprehensive understanding of product cycles, key milestones and core deadlines, with the ability to drive the team toward successful execution.
- Growth mindset, curiosity and enthusiasm for learning new tools, exploring new approaches and solving complex design challenges.
What do we offer you?
At The North Face, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you. That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people. We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).
Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity. Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do.
To learn more about The North Face’s benefits package, visit MyVFBenefits and click “Looking to Join VF”.
Now WE have a question for YOU.
Are you in?
Hiring Range:
$142,560.00 USD - $178,200.00 USD annually
Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.
Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.
Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.
At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. VF will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals to the extent required by applicable law.
Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
