PURPOSE & OVERALL RELEVANCE FOR THE ORGANISATION
To lead the Design Direction of technical Apparel and Footwear within the Outdoor category - championing the brand’s overall Creative Direction and Expression, whilst also driving a distinctive and recognizable consumer product proposition for the outdoor category within the industry.
You will lead the overall global Design function for Outdoor, therefore a very high level of creative leadership skills and Product Design expertise (Footwear, Apparel, Accessories) is essential for this role.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
* Define, champion and protect a global brand design philosophy aligned to the Brand DNA for all product categories
* Communicate product vision and strategy for the brand and consumers
* Lead global long-term and seasonal Product Design direction which includes pre-season concepting
* Manage the design creation process for the category from concept to finished product
* Collaborate with our Comms, Product, Development and Merchandising team to create a cohesive collection and plans that meets the needs of the business
* Build and lead a high-performance team, providing coaching and development opportunities
* Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that promotes excellence
* Secure a proper and appropriate use of brand technology across the different areas
* Ensure clearly articulated design direction and identity for the products and concepts that creates iconic status and wins awards
* Be up to date on consumers, cultural trends, sports culture and athletic findings
* Represent a strong design team when in contact with other departments
AUTHORITIES
· Budget responsibility
· Signature authority “i.V.”
· People management and development
· Creation margin accounatbility
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
· General Manager
· Outdoor SLT
· Cross-functional Category Teams
· Brand Horizontal Functions
· Creative Direction & Expression teams
· Innovation
· HR and Finance
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
· Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a college/university in the field of Industrial or Product Design / minimum of 10 years of experience in the field of Industrial/Product Design, or an equivalent combination out of education and experience - ideally in the Sporting Goods, Lifestyle Apparel/Footwear or Fashion industries
· At least 5 years experience of leading large Design teams
· Comprehensive knowledge in Product Design - specifically Footwear and Apparel - with a clear understanding of the athletics market and its culture
· Practical knowledge in the field of computer design software/systems and MS Office
· Fluency in English