Design Director Jobs

POSITION SUMMARY: At SWIM USA we find joy in producing swimwear that empowers women around the globe to feel like the best version of themselves. The Design Director role at SWIM USA provides the opportunity to create carefully curated swimwear alongside our major retail partners within our private label division. The Design Director drives the brand's creative direction, managing all aspects of design, including development, materials, silhouettes, and color. The Design Director must be a skilled manager of creative teams (including designers of all levels and freelance artists) and be able to adhere to tight deadlines while overseeing multiple projects. Strong presentation skills are an absolute must as this role will interface with leaders of large corporations. Clear communication will be key in relaying creative concepts to the design team and interacting with members of the cross-functional team. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Lead the design and development for women's' private label swim program with a progressive, guest-centric approach. Partner with Associate VP in establishing the strategic direction and line architecture for each delivery set throughout the season. Build volume driving programs and fashion forward items for a well-balanced assortment that caters to both a core and trend-oriented demographic. Leverage strong people management and leadership skills in order to hire, develop, and inspire the creative team. Initiate trend research. Travel to key markets to identify emerging ideas and concepts in color, silhouette, print, merchandising , and marketing. Provide direction to the product development team in sourcing fabrics and trims. Ensure product is developed with quality and cost parameters in mind. Support all milestone meeting prep, ensuring presentations showcase designs and strategy. This is inclusive of color boards, concept boards, 3D boards, print, and story boards. Schedule Internal Line Development Meetings and Pre-line presentations where you and the team will explain the collection concepts to upper management. Own the lead presenter role in client facing design meetings. Work closely with Product Managers, Technical Designers, and Product Development Team to ensure product is designed in accordance with the time & action calendar. Attend fittings and manage communication throughout fit process. Direct print & color manager and textile artists in the execution of all artwork and consult with team once strike-offs are in our possession. LE ADERSHIP PROFILE: Collaborative style, adept at establishing trust and building relationships across all levels and functions of the organization. Inspirational and adaptable leader with strong ability to coach and develop team members, and build engaged, highly functional teams / partnerships. Influential in communicating new ideas and concepts. Comfortable with calculated risk-taking. Capable of juggling multiple priorities independently, and able to pivot / refocus the team, acting decisively when needed. Resilient, tenacious, and high energy. Able to rapidly bounce back from adversity. Detailed with the desire to produce high quality work. Tracks and coaches the team's development and talent. Meets with team members individually to discuss progress, opportunities, and wins. Encourages healthy work environment for team along with open and honest dialogue. Ability to troubleshoot and think creatively to find appropriate solutions that resolve problems in a timely manner. Open to receiving feedback and constructive criticism. QUALIFICATIONS: Education: 4 Year / Bachelors' Degree minimum - preferably in Fashion Design or Fine Arts. Experience: 6-8 years+ in a Design Director Role, ideally working in a DTC or private label environment. Strong Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop. SWIM USA is an EOE