Senior Footwear Designer / Design Director

Vida Shoes International•New York, NY

1d•$80,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

Since 1973, Vida Shoes International has been committed to becoming a global leader in the footwear industry. We are dedicated to designing, producing, and marketing quality branded footwear using our expansive international resources. Our wealth of knowledge stems from the diversity of brands and successful products we have produced year after year. Currently, we are in search of a Senior Footwear Designer / Design Director who is creative, passionate, and an organized problem solver with the ability to work cross functionally between design and sales. This position will collaborate closely with Product Development, Sales Team, Production and Licensor’s Merchandising teams to build out seasonal collections that meet our customers’ business needs and our internal margin expectations. We are looking for someone to bring a collaborative, enthusiastic, and growth-minded perspective to our team.

Requirements

8+ Years of footwear design experience.
Strong hand sketching ability and organizational skills.
Technical ability and experience fit correcting shoes.
Knowledge of synthetic materials and leathers.
Effectively manage time, multi-task, and pay strong attention to detail, and work within a team environment.
Strong Illustrator and Photoshop skills required.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office – Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint.
A definitive fashion sense with a passion for trends and the ability to interpret trends for the masses to meet business needs.
Ability to prioritize/execute in a highly fluid environment.
Must be highly organized, self-motivated, and driven with a strong work ethic.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

College design degree highly preferred.
Knowledge of development process and working with overseas factories and customers preferred.
Knowledge of CAD systems such as AI technology a big plus.

Responsibilities

Build line from creative concept to final approved prototypes.
Sketch (hand sketch & illustrator/CAD/AI) and create specs and tech packs for the manufacturing team overseas.
Help create and execute a competitive product line that supports the brands’ strategic objectives, quality components, and trend concepts.
Design forecasting and research market trends.
Shop for inspirational designs and competitive landscape each season.
Help develop and organize colors & materials for the season.
Work with design team to create moods for the season (color palettes, prints, materials, etc.)
Prepare sketch boards/trend boards for team proto review meetings.
Ability to deliver presentations with focused viewpoint and confidence to senior management, licensing team, sales team and retailers.
Communication with overseas offices.
Travel to overseas factories when necessary.
Writing production specs and assisting in fit approvals for commercialization.