Vans: Senior Designer, Footwear Surf & Snow

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 Designer, Footwear at Vans looks a little like this.

As a Sr. Footwear Designer for the Surf / Snow team, you’ll sketch and render visionary concepts for uppers, midsoles and outsoles, utilizing the appropriate manufacturing technologies. You’ll also be responsible for color and material selection. A deep connection to the consumer and culture is essential for this position.  You will partner with Product Development on creation and manufacturing of footwear products. You will produce a high level of output typically consisting of 3 – 6 new footwear concept and 10 – 15 color collections per season. You will interact regularly with various category Design, Development, Merchandising and Marketing in order to gather ideas and create innovative products. Apply today to be a part of the fun and creative team who designs our original footwear product.   

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

• Utilizes merchandise briefs to create footwear concepts and collections.
• Conceptualize, sketch and render original footwear concepts.
• Executes in a timely manner upper and tooling designs, techpacks and seasonal color CADS.
• Partners with Footwear Development team to bring ideas to mass production.
• Research consumer attitudes to identify emerging and current trends. Presents  to the team via  trend boards, prototypes, and samples.
• Expert narrative development, written, and communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver project presentations to Senior leadership

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 5-7+ years of experience and professional achievements.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Resilient, agile, and optimistic. Can embrace ambiguity and the fluid nature of early stages of product design and keep teammates and projects moving
• Influential and able to collaborate across a matrix organization, successfully navigating the connectivity between in-line business and cross category partners
• Expert knowledge and ability of product design, including ideation, development, specification, footwear and sneaker manufacturing process and final execution of designs that balance innovation, performance, and style for Surf / Snow consumers
• Understanding of the cultural, core consumer, market and trends, and the ability to spot trends in advance
• Excellent problem solving skills, interpersonal,  and communication skills
• Must be a strong teammate and successful collaborator, who embraces differences and values diverse perspectives
• Proficient with computer design software (i.e. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop) and business computer software (i.e. Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint; Apple Keynote)

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