Surface Designer
About The Position
The Surface Designer creates original and adapted surface artwork that supports design objectives and the brand vision. The role translates trends, seasonal concepts, color direction, and business needs into cohesive, production-ready prints and surface designs across silhouettes, product categories, channels, and fabrications. The designer engineers technically precise repeats, placements, and complex files for techniques including printing, embroidery, and embellishment, and remains accountable for artwork through strike-off, sampling, and approval stages. Working closely with product design, product development, and material development, the Surface Designer ensures artwork suits seasonal silhouettes and concepts while meeting vendor, costing, production, and execution requirements. The role maintains art and color records in FlexPLM and VibeIQ, keeps the design studio artwork wall current, stays informed about industry trends and techniques, fosters collaboration and accountability, and may mentor assistant or associate surface designers. The position is based in an office environment and requires technical accuracy, strong aesthetic judgment, and the ability to deliver work on time in a fast-paced setting.
Requirements
- High school graduate.
- At least 5 years of experience designing, managing, and manipulating surface designs on textiles.
- Demonstrated artistic ability to draw, sketch, and illustrate.
- Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and production-ready file standards.
- Strong background in surface design and knowledge of textile printing, embroidery, embellishment, and the surface-design industry.
- Creative eye for color.
- Superior score (>16) on the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test and fluency in Pantone systems across creative and production settings.
- Good Mac and/or PC skills using Microsoft Office software.
- Detail-oriented, well-organized, with excellent time-management skills.
- 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 skills.
- Submit a portfolio featuring original hand-created and digital artwork; seamless repeat patterns; florals, paisley, conversational/novelty prints and supporting print designs; colorway development; border, 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 preferred.
- Fashion-industry experience strongly preferred.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools.
- Experience with FlexPLM, VibeIQ, and Epson wide-format printers.
Responsibilities
- Create original artwork and style vintage or purchased artwork to meet design objectives, brand vision, trends, concepts, and business needs.
- 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.
- Interpret seasonal color direction, concepts, and trends to develop surface designs across channels and fabrications while accounting for production parameters.
- Collaborate with product design to create seasonal artwork suited to product silhouettes and concepts.
- Work with product design, product development, and material development 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.
- Foster collaboration and accountability, model high standards, and reinforce shared expectations.
- Maintain art and color records in FlexPLM and VibeIQ and keep the design studio artwork wall up to date.
- Mentor assistant or associate surface designers where appropriate, helping them complete projects on time, meet objectives, and develop skills.
- Contribute positively to the design team through urgency, dedication, a willing attitude, and creative work aligned with 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 2x salary
- Accidental death and disability insurance
- Voluntary life insurance for the employee, spouse, and children
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting, subject to age and service requirements
- Up to 3 weeks of paid time off in the first year, with opportunity to earn more
- 9 paid holidays per year
- Paid bereavement leave
- Voluntary time off
- Access to financial, physical, and mental wellness experts
- Employee Assistance Program with work/life wellness support and no-cost unlimited telephonic counseling
- 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
Senior
Education Level
High school or GED
