Lead Designer – Softgoods Full Time

About WHITESPACE:

WHITESPACE is a performance snowboarding brand created to inspire people to forge their unique path, transcend boundaries, and write their own story, regardless of sport or discipline.

Inspired by founder Shaun White’s historic career fusing competitive excellence with unique style, our mission is to design products that elevate both technical performance and aesthetic. Our product lines include snowboards, technical and lifestyle apparel, goggles, and accessories across Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer collections.

Established in 2021, the Company is rapidly growing across channels and product lines and is looking for team members excited to work hard, collaborate, and build an enduring snow sports brand rooted in excellence.

Job Description: 

As our Lead Designer, you will be responsible for the product design of our softgoods collection of performance outerwear, midlayers, baselayers, non-technical apparel, and accessories. Partnering with our Head of Product, you will lead and be accountable for the creation of seasonal concepts,  delivery of tech packs, and development of material, trim, and fit specs. With support from cross-functional team members, this role will have direct access and support from all team members to elevate the product through sales, marketing, and operations.

Who we’re looking for:

• Creative mind with an elevated aesthetic and technical expertise; you are able to bring a unique vision to snow sports without compromising on technical features. The vision must reflect the brand ethos and resonate with current market trends.
• Driven self-starter who possesses a “builder’s mentality” with internal drive, high energy, and a can-do mindset – you love having impact, cutting new earth, and winning – and will knock down barriers to make things happen. We’re a start-up, nothing will be handed to you.
• Seasoned apparel designer with experience designing, tech packing, and developing men’s and women’s garments. Snow/technical apparel design will be heavily weighted.
• Proven connector with a deep network of allies across the retail ecosystem – warm and friendly contacts within your network of agents, vendors, and factories. You know the landscape and the players, and have specific expertise in outdoor, snow, and fashion.
• Collaborative partner able to work cross-functionally with merchandising, marketing, and sales teams.
• Experienced leader able to offer training and guidance for a growing team.

Specific tasks include:

• Develop and present seasonal design concepts, mood boards, color palettes, innovation concepts, and market trends for cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to build TNA calendar identifying key milestones for development.
• Execute against TNA calendar to ensure on-time and in-full delivery for each stage of the design and development process.
• Design and develop tech packs for mens and womens collections, trims, prints and patterns. Align with fit technicians to identify product specs as well as production team for sourcing needs and BOM management.
• Collaborate with PLM and Merchandising to create a best-in-class assortment that resonates with our customer with support from data and market trends while designing into IMU/costing targets.
• Proactively incorporate emerging technologies and industry innovation to evolve and refine our product as well as our creation process.
• Participate with agents and factory partner communication; establish new relationships with mills, factories, and agents as needed.
• Test products both on and off the hill searching for innovation, trend research, as well as engagement with the snow community.

Qualifications:

• Excellent organizational, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• 10+ years of design experience in both men’s and women’s snow apparel: fabric selection, innovation, and technical design
• Strong portfolio of designs with an elevated aesthetic and technical performance features
• Proven ability to lead production process and team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with internal teams as well as domestic and international partners
• Skilled in design software including Adobe, Google, and Microsoft suites
• Experience with CLO or 3D patterning software preferred but not required
• Ability to travel internationally
• Ability to work out of our headquarters in Los Angeles

To Apply:

Please send your resume + a cover letter expressing why you believe you’re a fit for the job to hello@whitespacesnow.com and include “APPLICATION – Designer” in the subject line.

Tagged as: california, designer, product design, shaun white, soft goods, whitespace