The North Face:
Creative Design Director - Color, Finishings, Materials Job in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT
Full-time | Design - Product
About the job
Job Ad
The North Face, a VF Company
At The North Facewe dare to lead the world forward through Exploration.We were born to Explore. We were born to Disrupt. We were born to Lead.
The North Face is the premier exploration company in the world. Founded in the counterculture of Berkeley, CA in 1966 we have a long and storied legacy of enabling exploration, loving and protecting wild places, and creating iconic and technically advanced product.
We believe that exploration is a mindset both on the mountain and off the mountain and it infuses everything we do. As a community of explorers, we stay curious about new ideas, places and people.
Our values:
Love wild places
Spark curiosity
Dare to disrupt
Create community
Lead with integrity
By joining The North Face, you will help provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern-day explorer. You will also have the opportunity, tools and environment to more deeply explore the world around you and make meaningful, lasting connections.
What You Will Do
As the Creative Design Director of Creative Services at The North Face you will help create, shape and lead our design journey from concept through to design. Your role is responsible for delivering and executing global color, prints, materials, and trim direction on a seasonal basis.
This role provides directional, brand relevant color, print, and materials tools that address our global market and manages the alignment process between multiple Global and Regional functions to establish a global strategy that is visible at multiple customer touch points. Your creative direction will inspire storytelling that is emotionally, culturally and technically rich to our consumers, along with addressing our business needs.
With your creative direction, you will lead the concept and a team of designers to execute the seasonal strategy; collaborating with our Merchandising, Design, Development, Marketing, and all the way to the consumer.
How You Will Make A Difference
Responsible for the global color, print, material, and trim palette.
Build POV on directional, brand right, seasonal palettes. Evaluate and build strong foundation colors that are consistent every season. Influence consolidation of similar colors between categories.
Collaborate with Graphic Design team to establish alignment on season stories in relation to print and graphics execution.
Work directly with Global Merchandise and Product teams to ensure the global palettes supports strategy around seasonal initiatives, product capsules, delivery flow and distribution channels. Interacts directly with global and regional cross-functions on the approval and execution of the global color, prints, material, trim palette.
Manage a team to meet deliverables defined by the corporate calendar. Lead meetings with Global and Regional cross-functions to ensure concepts are maintained and executed through the development cycle.
In collaboration with Creative Design Directors, advance the value of Creative Services for The North Face by delivering a high level of functional expertise around palettes (i.e. materials, new technologies, advanced GIC developments, and evolving color tools) for the design organization.
Present and communicate category specific direction and merchandising direction to internal working groups. Work with design to build effective presentation material that communicates color direction related to the seasonal direction and strategy.
Through research and our brands archives, ensure all seasonal palettes are grounded in the brands DNA.
Through research travel, bring a contemporary mindset to seasonal color, material, trim palettes and identify emerging trends for The North Face brand. Partner with external global trend services to ensure seasonal direction. Attend relevant tradeshows, art exhibits, and trending events/cities.
Build a deep understanding of the Brand DNA. Research past athlete expeditions.
Research and have a strong understanding of competitor products, consumer retail habits, color, and market trends. Apply insights from consumer perspective into appropriate solutions.
Coordinate internal and external trend presentations for The North Face design group.
Initiate cross-functional meetings with VF brands to identify best practices, resources and ideate future role of color, materials and trims.
Support creative team in planning and execution of concepts. Work with VP Creative to implement creative strategy.
What You Bring
Years of related professional experience: 12+ years of related or similar experience.
12+ years of relevant work experience in color management preferably in an equivalent position for a Global Brand.
Bachelor's Degree in Design (apparel), or equivalent combination of education and experience.
High level of Proficiency in In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Word, PowerPoint
Experience in creation of design packages and execution of product designs.
Experience in designing successful products
Experience in research and analysis and design cycles
Experience in managing a team.
Skills:
Strong knowledge of formulating color, print, materials, trim palettes.
Strong knowledge and understanding of apparel construction
Excellent communications skills, including the ability to present concepts to product teams and review boards in a persuasive manner.
Strong and experienced in leadership
Strong knowledge of product cycles.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes
Strong knowledge of aesthetic form and the ability to design for different consumers and end uses.
Strong knowledge of textile and material construction and properties.
Strong knowledge of product costs and impact of design.
Where You Will Be Located
Denver, CO
NEVER STOP EXPLORING
The North Face is a subsidiary of VF Corporation. At VF, we outfit consumers around the world with our diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the worlds largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. We are committed to delivering innovative products to consumers and creating long-term value for our customers and shareholders.
While our VF company and brands are diverse, we work together within a One VF culture to capitalize on our greatest opportunities for long-term performance. Across our company, a collaborative, global mindset differentiates our products and the unique experiences we provide to our consumers. It all adds up to a lasting competitive advantage built on harnessing the power of our differences to achieve great things together, all while positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the world.
VF is committed to creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the differences among all of our associates, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we live and conduct business. The continued success and growth of VF is enhanced through initiatives that promote diversity throughout VF around the world.
The North Face, a VF Company
At The North Facewe dare to lead the world forward through Exploration.We were born to Explore. We were born to Disrupt. We were born to Lead.
The North Face is the premier exploration company in the world. Founded in the counterculture of Berkeley, CA in 1966 we have a long and storied legacy of enabling exploration, loving and protecting wild places, and creating iconic and technically advanced product.
We believe that exploration is a mindset both on the mountain and off the mountain and it infuses everything we do. As a community of explorers, we stay curious about new ideas, places and people.
Our values:
Love wild places
Spark curiosity
Dare to disrupt
Create community
Lead with integrity
By joining The North Face, you will help provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern-day explorer. You will also have the opportunity, tools and environment to more deeply explore the world around you and make meaningful, lasting connections.
What You Will Do
As the Creative Design Director of Creative Services at The North Face you will help create, shape and lead our design journey from concept through to design. Your role is responsible for delivering and executing global color, prints, materials, and trim direction on a seasonal basis.
This role provides directional, brand relevant color, print, and materials tools that address our global market and manages the alignment process between multiple Global and Regional functions to establish a global strategy that is visible at multiple customer touch points. Your creative direction will inspire storytelling that is emotionally, culturally and technically rich to our consumers, along with addressing our business needs.
With your creative direction, you will lead the concept and a team of designers to execute the seasonal strategy; collaborating with our Merchandising, Design, Development, Marketing, and all the way to the consumer.
How You Will Make A Difference
Responsible for the global color, print, material, and trim palette.
Build POV on directional, brand right, seasonal palettes. Evaluate and build strong foundation colors that are consistent every season. Influence consolidation of similar colors between categories.
Collaborate with Graphic Design team to establish alignment on season stories in relation to print and graphics execution.
Work directly with Global Merchandise and Product teams to ensure the global palettes supports strategy around seasonal initiatives, product capsules, delivery flow and distribution channels. Interacts directly with global and regional cross-functions on the approval and execution of the global color, prints, material, trim palette.
Manage a team to meet deliverables defined by the corporate calendar. Lead meetings with Global and Regional cross-functions to ensure concepts are maintained and executed through the development cycle.
In collaboration with Creative Design Directors, advance the value of Creative Services for The North Face by delivering a high level of functional expertise around palettes (i.e. materials, new technologies, advanced GIC developments, and evolving color tools) for the design organization.
Present and communicate category specific direction and merchandising direction to internal working groups. Work with design to build effective presentation material that communicates color direction related to the seasonal direction and strategy.
Through research and our brands archives, ensure all seasonal palettes are grounded in the brands DNA.
Through research travel, bring a contemporary mindset to seasonal color, material, trim palettes and identify emerging trends for The North Face brand. Partner with external global trend services to ensure seasonal direction. Attend relevant tradeshows, art exhibits, and trending events/cities.
Build a deep understanding of the Brand DNA. Research past athlete expeditions.
Research and have a strong understanding of competitor products, consumer retail habits, color, and market trends. Apply insights from consumer perspective into appropriate solutions.
Coordinate internal and external trend presentations for The North Face design group.
Initiate cross-functional meetings with VF brands to identify best practices, resources and ideate future role of color, materials and trims.
Support creative team in planning and execution of concepts. Work with VP Creative to implement creative strategy.
What You Bring
Years of related professional experience: 12+ years of related or similar experience.
12+ years of relevant work experience in color management preferably in an equivalent position for a Global Brand.
Bachelor's Degree in Design (apparel), or equivalent combination of education and experience.
High level of Proficiency in In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Word, PowerPoint
Experience in creation of design packages and execution of product designs.
Experience in designing successful products
Experience in research and analysis and design cycles
Experience in managing a team.
Skills:
Strong knowledge of formulating color, print, materials, trim palettes.
Strong knowledge and understanding of apparel construction
Excellent communications skills, including the ability to present concepts to product teams and review boards in a persuasive manner.
Strong and experienced in leadership
Strong knowledge of product cycles.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes
Strong knowledge of aesthetic form and the ability to design for different consumers and end uses.
Strong knowledge of textile and material construction and properties.
Strong knowledge of product costs and impact of design.
Where You Will Be Located
Denver, CO
NEVER STOP EXPLORING
The North Face is a subsidiary of VF Corporation. At VF, we outfit consumers around the world with our diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the worlds largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. We are committed to delivering innovative products to consumers and creating long-term value for our customers and shareholders.
While our VF company and brands are diverse, we work together within a One VF culture to capitalize on our greatest opportunities for long-term performance. Across our company, a collaborative, global mindset differentiates our products and the unique experiences we provide to our consumers. It all adds up to a lasting competitive advantage built on harnessing the power of our differences to achieve great things together, all while positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the world.
VF is committed to creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the differences among all of our associates, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we live and conduct business. The continued success and growth of VF is enhanced through initiatives that promote diversity throughout VF around the world.