PURPOSE & OVERALL RELEVANCE FOR THE ORGANISATION
To lead the Design Direction of technical Apparel and Footwear within the Outdoor category - championing the brand’s overall Creative Direction and Expression, whilst also driving a distinctive and recognizable consumer product proposition for the outdoor category within the industry.
You will lead the overall global Design function for Outdoor, therefore a very high level of creative leadership skills and Product Design expertise (Footwear, Apparel, Accessories) is essential for this role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Define, champion and protect a global brand design philosophy aligned to the Brand DNA for all product categories
- Communicate product vision and strategy for the brand and consumers
- Lead global long-term and seasonal Product Design direction which includes pre-season concepting
- Manage the design creation process for the category from concept to finished product
- Collaborate with our Comms, Product, Development and Merchandising team to create a cohesive collection and plans that meets the needs of the business
- Build and lead a high-performance team, providing coaching and development opportunities
- Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that promotes excellence
- Secure a proper and appropriate use of brand technology across the different areas
- Ensure clearly articulated design direction and identity for the products and concepts that creates iconic status and wins awards
- Be up to date on consumers, cultural trends, sports culture and athletic findings
- Represent a strong design team when in contact with other departments
AUTHORITIES
Budget responsibilitySignature authority “i.V.”People management and developmentCreation margin accounatbilityKEY RELATIONSHIPS
General ManagerOutdoor SLTCross-functional Category TeamsBrand Horizontal FunctionsCreative Direction & Expression teamsInnovationHR and FinanceKNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a college / university in the field of Industrial or Product Design / minimum of 10 years of experience in the field of Industrial / Product Design, or an equivalent combination out of education and experience - ideally in the Sporting Goods, Lifestyle Apparel / Footwear or Fashion industriesAt least 5 years experience of leading large Design teamsComprehensive knowledge in Product Design - specifically Footwear and Apparel - with a clear understanding of the athletics market and its culturePractical knowledge in the field of computer design software / systems and MS OfficeFluency in English