The North Face: Senior Design Manager, Performance Footwear (Global)

At The North Face we dare to lead the world forward through Exploration. We were born to Explore, Disrupt and to Lead. We were born to Love Wild Places and to Spark Curiosity. 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.

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 adventure-loving people, The North Face just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit The North Face Careers or www.thenorthface.com.

Senior Design Manager, Performance Footwear (Global)

What will you do?

As a Senior Design Manager, Performance Footwear, you will lead design direction for performance footwear on our global footwear team by managing a team, creating innovative products that drive eyes to the brand, and deliver compelling experiences, all through the lens of the outdoors. You should be able to confidently distill and build upon Design Leadership’s overall vision for footwear at the brand within the performance context. You will likely take responsibility for the output and execution of designs by other designers on staff and you should be interested in and comfortable with providing mentorship inspiration, direction and feedback. Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Immerse and stay current with market and consumer trends, whether speaking to athletes, living the brand or checking in on stores.
• Partner with our footwear innovation team to drive innovation strategy and execution with a focus on forward thinking innovation and advanced concepts.
• Produce presentations that vividly tell the story of your designs and bring team mates on your journey.
• Track a design schedule to ensure a timely completion of your work and you will partner with development and category management to bring the products to life.
• Be a team player and perform these and other duties as assigned.
• Deep knowledge of the footwear industry design process with an elevated attention to detail and technical skills.
• Enjoy mentoring, leading and facilitating the effective implementation of a brand-led design vision amongst less-experienced designers.
• Bring a fresh perspective from a deep passion for footwear, The North Face, and the outdoors.

• Have the opportunity to grow and expand with knowledgeable creatives, refining and evolving your skillset. 
• A passion for sustainable and inclusive design and proactive approach in creating designs that reflect that is encouraged.

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 foundational skills you’ll need to succeed and excel.

The skills you will need in this position are:

• 10+ years of experience in a footwear design related field. 3+ years of managing designers and lead category direction.
• Bachelor’s degree in design (industrial / product / footwear), or equivalent combination of education and experience; high proficiency in Illustrator, Photoshop / Procreate, InDesign in a Mac environment.
• Experience in designing successful products and collections
• Strong knowledge and understanding of footwear construction
• Solid awareness of outdoor, trail run and hike trends and the and the ability to interpret these trends though the TNF lens
• Strong knowledge of aesthetic form, high taste level and the ability to design for different consumers and end uses.
• Good communications skills including ability to present and communicate responsibilities and timelines to designers on team
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in creating tech packs.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes.
• Strong knowledge of impact of design on product cost.
• Working Knowledge of 3D footwear creation software and digital rendering tools.
• Interest and experience in incorporating AI digital tools to your workflow.
• Interest and experience in mentoring junior design talent.
• Ability to travel domestic and international for market visits and factory support trips.

This position is on-site at our Denver, CO office with a three-day hybrid in-office schedule. Remote work is not available for this role due to the collaborative and hands