Color Specialist

Columbia Sportswear Company • Carlsbad, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

With a deep understanding of prAna's brand, the Color Specialist supports our design team in the development of seasonal color. Primary responsibilities include color palette development and management of the lab dip process, ensuring accuracy and consistency across divisions and materials. S/he assists the design and merchandising team in preparation of color details for presentations. The position fields and responds to inquiries from cross-functional teams and our vendor base on any color-related issues and assists with all other color related projects and functions as requested.

Requirements

• Able to establishes and maintain schedules by prioritizing heavy workloads and multiple seasons overlapping
• A problem-solving solver, able to work on multiple projects at a time.
• Able to maintain a professional demeanor and openness to new ideas and change
• Associate degree in apparel design or equivalent relevant experience is required.
• 5+ years of relevant apparel design, development, or color management experience
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator
• Working knowledge of programs: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook & Adobe Photoshop
• Strong eye for color is a must
• Knowledge of color theory, excellent color sense and knowledge of color models RGB, CMYK and Pantone matching systems
• Understanding of various fabric qualities and substrates
• Color test (Munsell) results

Nice To Haves

• Spectrophotometer experience helpful

Responsibilities

• Participate in research phase of color direction and trends.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings with color forecasting and trend service providers.
• Coordinate development, preparation and issuing of seasonal color cards, both digital and physical, upload digital seasonal palettes for design team.
• Coordinate seasonal selection of colors to be lab dipped for all fabrications via meetings with Design Director, Merchants, and Designers with management approval.
• Evaluate, comment, and approve all seasonal lab dip submissions to ensure consistency and accuracy across multiple fabric substrates.
• Communicate all color comments via email to mills and vendors on a timely basis.
• Manage and track lab dip submits for all categories, maintain lab dip log, seasonal color reference book, filing, etc.
• Maintain organized records and file lab dips and bulk submits for easy reference .
• Maintain light box.
• Evaluate, comment and approve bulk production shade bands and individual dye lots for accuracy in a timely manner.
• Identify and elevate issues to ensure timely resolution.
• Meet all Product Creation calendar deadlines.
• Support materials team with seasonal booking of greige, test requests and materials development projects.
• Assist the Design, Merch and Product Development team with additional projects as requested

Benefits

• At Columbia Sportswear Company, we’re proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding.
• Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community.
• Benefits that can protect your family’s financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match.
• Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services).
• In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services.
• We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree