Design Manager

FAM Brands • Los Angeles, CA

6d

About The Position

FAM Brands is seeking a strategic and hands-on Director of Design to lead and elevate our design function across multiple product categories, including sportswear, women’s, and men’s sportswear. This role will oversee and mentor three Design Managers, ensuring cohesive vision, brand alignment, and executional excellence across all offerings.
The ideal candidate brings a strong balance of creative leadership, operational rigor, and deep understanding of the activewear and apparel market. They will drive innovation while maintaining the speed, cost-efficiency, and commercial focus required in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in apparel design, with 3–5+ years in a leadership role
• Proven success managing and developing multiple design teams and/or managers
• Deep understanding of the full product lifecycle from concept through production
• Demonstrated ability to balance creative vision with commercial and margin goals
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate business objectives into design direction
• Strong leadership presence with excellent communication and influencing skills
• Highly organized with strong project management capabilities in fast-paced environments
• Collaborative mindset with cross-functional partnership experience
• Strong trend awareness and ability to drive innovation
• Ability to operate with speed, agility, and attention to detail

Nice To Haves

• Strong background in sportswear, activewear, or performance apparel preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop three Design Managers across Sportswear, Women’s, and Men’s categories
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative, and accountable design culture
• Provide clear direction, feedback, and career development opportunities for design teams
• Champion creativity while ensuring alignment with business goals and timelines
• Define and drive the overall design vision across all categories
• Ensure consistency in brand identity, seasonal storytelling, and product aesthetics
• Review and approve design concepts, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and customer expectations
• Elevate product design through trend-right innovation and competitive benchmarking
• Partner with Merchandising, Product Development, and Production teams to build compelling assortments
• Translate business objectives into actionable design strategies
• Ensure designs meet margin targets, cost constraints, and production feasibility
• Oversee seasonal calendars, ensuring timely delivery of all design milestones
• Work closely with merchandising to align on assortment plans and category strategies
• Partner with sourcing and development teams to ensure material and construction innovation
• Collaborate with marketing and branding teams on campaigns, lookbooks, and product storytelling
• Act as a key voice in leadership meetings, representing design priorities and insights
• Maintain deep knowledge of market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape
• Drive innovation through research, travel, and trend forecasting
• Identify new opportunities for growth and category expansion

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed