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