Director, Product Design - Specialized Brands

A role with the Design team means a big opportunity to start from scratch and create something truly original. Are you a design expert who can support your business by staying one step ahead of industry trends, new materials and techniques? Can you demonstrate the utmost attention to detail and create products that are unprecedented in the marketplace for their design and quality for the price? Then you'll have success on our Design team who owns the design and development of all Company-owned brands, from apparel to home goods, and beauty to essentials. In close partnership with our merchant and sourcing counterparts, you'll drive brand cohesion and continuity, ensuring that our products meet the merchant line plans, assortment strategies, price points and overall creative direction.

As Product Design Director, you will develop big ideas and creative concepts that achieve overall product strategy as well as our quality and financial objectives. You will have a chance to create profitable and exclusive products to join our industry-leading lineup of owned-brand merchandise, and you will help manage designer partnerships for one of the worlds leading retailers. Under Product Design & Development leadership, and in partnership with peers, you will be responsible for the brand and product vision by leading the development of creative concepting and product strategy.

Through your strong point of view on style and quality, you'll take the lead as you provide vision for brand concept and lead your team through the execution of product design. In partnership with your Divisional Merchandise Manager, you will align business priorities and assortment architecture and build the resources needed to deliver on assortment needs. In addition, you'll drive financial results by providing design solutions for business opportunities that are differentiated from the market place and unique to our Company, including business shifts, key initiatives, new product concepts and seasonal focuses. Likewise, you'll manage the integrity of our brands by delivering appropriate "point of view" and "point of difference" while preserving consistency across Divisions within each brand. You'll also ensure product assortment is appropriate for the designated guest segments and deliver on our overall product strategy. This includes leading the aesthetic execution of product, including: color, fabric/finish standards, print and pattern, expression of fit and trim/findings, and any other materials. You will also be responsible for leading your division through seasonal trend research and product design and development processes while leveraging cross-company synergy within the Company to evolve and champion the design role. Finally, you'll lead, develop and manage team members by setting clear objectives, providing ongoing performance feedback, and evaluating potential.
Core responsibilities of this job are described within this job description. Job duties may change at any time due to business needs.
About You:
Four-year degree in Design, Fine Arts or related degree, or equivalent experience
15+ years of experience in product design and development in a retail or wholesale environment, with a successful track record
15+ years of experience in a specified category
Domestic and oversea market travel experience
Outstanding communication, presentation, negotiation, and influencing skills
Demonstrated leadership ability of product development teams
Demonstrated ability to identify trends and creative ability with strong commercial sense
In-depth knowledge of design and product development processes, including textiles and garment manufacture and demonstrated expertise in color, fabric, pattern, fit and garment execution
Experience understanding the consumer
Successful team leadership overseeing team size of ten or more