Vans: Sr. Director, Design Concepts (Global)

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 Senior Director, Design Concepts at Vans looks a little like this.

Reporting directly into the Vice President, Chief Design & Innovation Officer, this visionary leader who holds a pivotal role within the Global Product Design & Innovation function, entrusted with crafting the overarching seasonal creative direction. They will engage in close collaboration with leaders across product design, product merchandising, innovation, consumer insights, and brand marketing teams, ultimately bringing the seasonal creative direction to life.

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

• Collaborate across the design function to integrate leading design elements for color, material, graphics and design language.
• Work closely with Global marketing leadership to ensure the conceptual themes developed are working in tandem with brand narrative themes
• Research, and remain ahead of global macro trends and industry leading product trends to inform seasonal concepts.
• Create digital and physical presentation materials for Creative Direction Launch moments that inspire the design & innovation teams.
• Ensure the creative direction concepts are carried through the go to market process.
• Deliver tangible business and brand growth, in line with set revenue and profitability goals.

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 12+ years of experience and professional achievements. 

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• A proven track record of setting strategy and driving change in large organizations.
• Demonstrated leadership capability in a creative environment, strong strategic planning and analytical skills as well as product merchandising expertise required.
• Proven concept story creation skills, with strong communication and presentation skills
• Strategic planner, futuristic, visionary mindset 
• Ability to work with ambiguous and complex concepts
• Highly collaborative team player, with an entrepreneurial work ethic
• Location requirement: This role is based in the Vans HQ, in Costa Mesa, CA.

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

• Strong understanding of the sportswear industry
• Deep product design acumen

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 positions, a competitive compensation package, and a strong benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

Our commitment extends beyond this and into your daily work life. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture based on respect, connection, and authenticity. Our focus on DEI is at the foundation of who we are and what we do.

To learn more about Vans’ benefits package, follow this MyVFBenefits.com and click “Looking to Join VF”.

To learn more about Vans‘ Diversity and Inclusion efforts, go to www.vans.com.

Now WE have a question for YOU.

Are you in?