Position: Creative Design Director/ Artistic Director

Department: Design

Location: Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, UK, US

Report to: Operations Director

Summary: The Creative Design Director/ Artistic Director is responsible for leading and inspiring the Company’s product design efforts to provide original concepts and relevant designs across all product categories (apparel, footwear, and gear). The Design Director will work with the Product Leadership Team to lay the strategic and creative foundation for the company’s products. They will help identify key industry trends and opportunities and determine the best way for the Company to address business strategies and creative opportunities.

Responsible for the management of all product categories (apparel, footwear, gear) in a way that creates cohesion and purpose across the whole brand.

Work with the Design and Product Team members to ensure feasibility of designs that meet price points, merchandising needs, and product creation timelines.

Responsible for the creation and management of Design standards, schedules, calendars, and output to achieve maximum efficiency and great product.

Effectively create and communicate design concepts and presentations seasonally.

Maintain knowledge of current trends, color, technology, and related products through travel, research, and product usage.

Responsible for staying abreast of the latest technologies in fabric, construction, trims, manufacturing, sewing, etc. Responsible for ensuring this information is disseminated and utilized in relevant design concepts.

Effectively build and manage the department’s budget.

Plan and facilitate design off-sites or other design related extracurricular activities that inspire and motivate team members.

Work with customers to “pressure test” or “meet the needs” to ensure product design is on point.

Participation in testing of products and fabrics in the field.

Inspire, mentor, and motivate a team of creative individuals; foster the growth and continued development of all team members.

Responsible for the day-to-day management of designers to ensure that their design concepts and ideas are in alignment and support category, Company, and strategic goals.

Review and offer constructive feedback to teams and individuals on sketches and product concepts.

Provide tools to foster the greatest assets of each person, and the team.

Responsible for ensuring that all work done by the group is timely, accurate and complete.

Responsible for the identification and management of contract designers.

Maintain pulse on market and design trends, color directions.

Ensure a cohesive product/color offering across all Product Teams.

BA, BFA or BS in Design required.

10+ years relevant experience.

Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to mentor others and lead design creation.

Strong track record of success in design or design management.

Keen understanding of line planning and product costing required.

Thorough understanding of and proven experience in fabric development and sourcing required.

Knowledge of garment construction, patterns and textiles required.

Extreme attention to detail required.

Proven ability to establish and maintain schedules.

Ability to apply, perform and manage design skills such as drawing/sketching, concept ideation, color theory, use of texture, spacing and scale, visual presentation development and layout.

Working knowledge of personal computers with demonstrated experience in the use of such programs as: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Quark, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, PDM software and 3D design software such as CLO3D.

An innate ability to see color discrepancies.

Strong presentation and public speaking skills.

Excellent customer service skills, in person, on the phone and in writing.

Able to work well under pressure and deadlines.

Ability to gather appropriate input and make clear, well-reasoned decisions.

Comfortable with team-based work structure; ability to remain flexible to change within the work environment and scope of responsibility.

Demonstrates initiative, is conscientious and provides complete follow-through on areas of responsibility.

At 5.11 Tactical, everyone can be a leader and perform in an exceptional manner. We strive to uphold our Ethos which defines our culture – Trusted, Responsive, Accountable and Committed.

Trusted: Strive to create trust in everything we do, starting with self-trust and relationship trust. We work on the components of integrity, intent, capability, and results.

Responsive: Listen to the needs of our end-user Professionals, then develop, produce, and deliver solutions to their problems. Each of us chooses to be a leader and takes charge of what is within our circle of influence.

Accountable: Seek to achieve results with a bias for action. We like to compete and be measured against the most demanding standards to ensure our continued success.

Committed: Overcome obstacles to accomplish our goals and support our team members when challenges arise. We complete commitments and seek to ‘over-deliver” relative to expectations.

A fun and fulfilling place to work

Competitive pay

Health, dental, vision & life insurance

401k retirement savings plan

Yearly handbag allowance

Product discounts

Job Type: Full-time

401(k)

Dental Insurance

Disability Insurance

Employee Discount

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Vision Insurance

COVID-19 considerations:

This is an on-site role; however, we adhere to safety protocols to keep all employees safe. Daily temperature checks and masks are required, and team members are working in a distanced manner throughout our warehouses, offices and recording studios.

Creative Design: 7 years (Preferred)

Design: 5 years (Preferred)

We are committed to recruiting, training, and providing career advancement to all associates regardless of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, or social or ethnic origin. Diversity in the workplace is encouraged. Bigotry, racism and any form of harassment or discrimination is not tolerated.

Are you interested in this position? Pre-screening Application