Associate Surface Designer
About The Position
The Associate Surface Designer supports the design team in creating surface designs that meet design objectives and contribute to the brand vision. The role helps translate trend and concept direction into production-ready prints and surface designs, develop cohesive artwork across silhouettes and categories, collaborate cross-functionally on development needs, and maintain technical accuracy from concept through approval. The position creates and engineers artwork for home, wearables, and other categories, including print designs, repeats, placements, and files for techniques such as printing, embroidery, and embellishment. It prepares production-ready files, maintains artwork and color records in PLM (FlexPLM) and VibeIQ, and supports artwork review and approval processes. The designer works with product design, product development, material development, vendors, and licensees to ensure artwork meets execution, costing, and production requirements. This role requires strong artistic judgment and the ability to translate trends into cohesive collections within the brand aesthetic. It also contributes to collaborative team practices, artwork organization, and a responsive, deadline-focused design environment.
Requirements
- High school graduate.
- At least 2 years of experience designing, managing, and manipulating surface designs on textiles.
- Artistic ability to draw, sketch, and illustrate.
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and production-ready file standards.
- Strong background in surface design.
- Creative eye for color.
- Superior score (>16) on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test and fluency in Pantone systems across creative and production settings.
- Knowledge of textile printing, embroidery, embellishment, and the surface-design industry.
- Good Mac and/or PC skills using Microsoft Office software.
- Detail-oriented, well-organized, and able to manage time effectively.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Proactive and adaptable, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong team player.
- Portfolio featuring original hand-created and digital artwork, seamless repeat patterns, florals, paisley, conversational or novelty prints and supporting designs, colorway development, border or engineered or placement artwork, and examples of artwork applied to finished products.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s degree in textile design, graphic design, or a related field.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools.
- Experience using FlexPLM, VibeIQ, and an Epson wide-format printer.
- Experience in the fashion industry.
Responsibilities
- Create complementary and coordinating print and surface designs; rework layouts and repeats; and recolor artwork within production parameters.
- Create style-specific artwork for home, wearables, and other categories.
- Engineer surface-design repeats, placements, and complex files with technical precision for printing, embroidery, embellishment, and other surface-design techniques.
- Deliver clean, production-ready artwork and maintain accountability through strike-off, sampling, and approval stages.
- Prepare production-ready artwork files and maintain art and color records in FlexPLM and VibeIQ; keep the design studio artwork wall up to date.
- Work with product design, product development, and material development throughout the development process to ensure artwork meets vendor, costing, and execution requirements.
- Stay current on industry trends and artwork techniques.
- Apply strong aesthetic judgment to translate trends into artwork and create a cohesive overall artwork collection.
- Assist with organizing and distributing vector files and paper standards to cross-functional teams, licensees, and vendors.
- Foster collaboration and accountability, model high standards, and reinforce shared expectations.
- Contribute positively to the design team by approaching tasks with a willing attitude, urgency, and dedication to designing creatively within the brand aesthetic.
- Perform other duties as needed or assigned.
Benefits
- Medical plan options, including HDHP/HSA and PPO plans.
- Dental insurance.
- Vision insurance.
- Flexible spending accounts.
- Employer-provided life insurance equal to two times salary.
- Accidental death and disability insurance.
- Voluntary life insurance for employees, spouses, and children.
- Short-term disability.
- Long-term disability.
- 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting, subject to age and service requirements.
- Paid time off, up to three weeks in the first year with the opportunity to earn more.
- Nine paid holidays per year.
- Paid bereavement leave.
- Voluntary time off.
- Access to financial, physical, and mental wellness experts.
- Employee Assistance Program, including no-cost unlimited telephonic counseling services.
- Leadership development, skill development, and career advancement opportunities.
- Employee discount on Vera Bradley products.
- Bonus opportunity.
- Identity protection.
- Legal services.
- Pet insurance.
- Cell phone discount.
- Employee referral bonus.
- Annual birthday gift.
- DailyPay.
- Corporate fitness facility.
- Individual policies through Aflac.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
