Vans: Designer, Skate Footwear

Now that you’ve found the job description, what’s next?

Vans is the original brand rooted in the authentic lifestyle of skateboarding. We are driven by our mission to inspire and empower everyone to live “Off The Wall” – embracing the youthful spirit of freedom, non-conformity, and relentless progression. Yesterday’s “Off The Wall” moment is today’s new normal, and at Vans, we believe in constantly outdoing ourselves. Together with our communities across the globe, our vision is to push culture forward because we believe that the pursuit of progression never ends. We are constantly inspired by the future generation of positive catalysts within our community.  

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people who think and live “Off the Wall,” Vans just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Vans Careers or www.vans.com.

What will you do?

 A day in the life of a Designer, Skateboarding Footwear at Vans looks a little like this.

In this role, you’ll create visionary footwear concepts that push the edges of style and function to reach what’s next... A deep connection to consumer and culture is essential for this role.  You’ll co-create with the world’s best skateboarders and artists and get to collaborate with leaders of culture and iconic brands.  As a designer with growing knowledge and experience in footwear you will be a highly proficient contributor, working closely with design partners, developers and merchandisers to create the world’s #1 skateboard shoes.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Create innovative concepts that represent the vibrant and diverse culture of skateboarding.  
• Explore unique ideas and previously unidentified possibilities that satisfy the emotional desires and exceed the functional needs of Vans consumers.
• Obsess consumer and athlete; connect with the innovators of skateboarding and the creators of culture, monitor emerging trends, insights and attitudes.
• Execute technical design drawings demonstrating construction method, precise tooling dimensions, upper design paneling, materialization, color and surfacing.
• Craft compelling stories and product ideas via 2D, 3D or handcrafted/sculptural ideation.  
• Interact and travel with fellow creatives in a fun, dynamic and creative environment.
• Foster a one team mentality – share strategy, review concepts, advise and contribute openly..
• Exhibit ingenuity and agility in working partnership with development and merchandising moving through multiple seasons at once.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 3-7 years of experience and professional achievements. 

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Ability to recognize and convey market trends 
• Experience and understanding of footwear construction
• Excellent communications skills and collaborative spirit-  including the ability to present concepts to footwear department peers and design leadership to support design concepts.
• Ability to understand, assess & problem solve by leveraging technical experience and skills 
• Ability to partner with innovation to advance design goals or improve performance
• Ability to build accurate technical drawings and visual explanations (tech packs)
• Propensity to generate a broad range of concepts and solutions for each assigned project 
• Strong sketching, illustration, and rendering skills and a high level of proficiency in Illustrator, Photoshop, 3D modeling programs and familiarity with gen Ai design, InDesign, Acrobat, Keynote, Figma, etc.)
• Familiarity with designing toward a Visual Line Plan.

There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.

• Bachelor's Degree in Product or  Industrial Design, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Knowledge and experience with sustainable design and manufacturing are a plus

What do we offer you?

At Vans, we know you expect as much from us as we do from you. That is why we make a commitment to support and grow our people. We offer extensive development and growth opportunities for your current and future position