The North Face: Senior Design Manager, Men's Apparel
About The Position
The Senior Design Manager, Men’s Tops & Bottoms Apparel at The North Face leads and elevates the design expression for men’s tops and bottoms, creating best-in-class product with strong aesthetic judgment and a clear point of view. This influential design leader balances creativity with delivery, sets category direction, and drives design decisions. The role leads seasonal research and insights, concepts, design direction, presentation tools, and key design deliverables, connecting the brand vision with consumer and business needs. It inspires design ideas across the team, champions craftsmanship and excellence, and presents work persuasively to senior audiences while providing clear, objective, constructive feedback. The Senior Design Manager provides creative direction, mentorship, and guidance to designers. The role applies advanced knowledge of brand aesthetic and DNA, materials and technologies, fit, and silhouette to create distinctive products that support consumer and business needs. It uses knowledge of outdoor apparel and the competitive landscape to identify opportunities and advance the category. The position partners closely with Merchandising, Product, Development, and other cross-functional partners, influencing decisions and maintaining the creative vision from concept through commercialization.
Requirements
- At least 10 years of experience in athletic, outdoor, sportswear, or men’s apparel design, with strong expertise relevant to Men’s Tops & Bottoms.
- Demonstrated experience providing creative direction, mentoring designers, and elevating design output across a team or category.
- Exceptional product acumen and comprehensive knowledge of apparel product development, including design, development, sourcing, and manufacturing.
- Advanced knowledge of apparel construction, with strong flat sketching and illustration expertise.
- Advanced hands-on experience with Adobe Creative Suite and CAD software.
- Comprehensive knowledge and experience creating high-quality, detailed tech packs.
- Comprehensive knowledge of cost engineering and the ability to design to cost while maintaining creative integrity.
- Advanced fitting experience, with a strong understanding of category silhouette needs for sport and an elevated sense of aesthetic.
- Strong experience developing performance materials, trims, and color palettes.
- Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence and build alignment around a creative vision.
- Strong communication and influencing skills across design, cross-functional partners, vendors, and senior stakeholders.
- Comprehensive understanding of product cycles, key milestones, and core deadlines, with the ability to drive successful execution.
- Growth mindset, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning new tools, exploring new approaches, and solving complex design challenges.
Nice To Haves
- Formal education in a related field.
- Understanding of, and ideally active participation in, some of the activities or sports the products are designed for.
- Experience with 3D software and AI image-generation tools such as Clo, Browzwear, Vizcom, or Midjourney; this is a plus but not required.
Responsibilities
- Lead and elevate the design expression for Men’s Tops & Bottoms, setting category direction and driving design decisions.
- Lead seasonal research and insights, concepts, design direction, presentation tools, and key design deliverables.
- Connect brand vision with consumer and business needs when developing category work.
- Inspire design ideas across the team, with a focus on craftsmanship and excellence.
- Present design work compellingly and persuasively to senior audiences, and provide clear, objective, constructive feedback.
- Provide creative direction, mentorship, and guidance to designers to develop individual capabilities and elevate the team’s design output.
- Apply knowledge of brand aesthetic and DNA, materials and technologies, fit, and silhouette to develop relevant, distinctive products.
- Use understanding of outdoor apparel and the competitive landscape to identify opportunities and push the category forward.
- Partner with Merchandising, Product, Development, and other cross-functional partners to influence decisions and maintain the creative vision from concept through commercialization.
- Drive the team toward successful execution across product cycles, milestones, and deadlines.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k).
- Competitive compensation package.
- Additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential.
- Extensive development and growth opportunities for current and future positions.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
