The North Face, a VF Company

The North Face is the premier exploration company in the world. Founded in the counterculture of Berkeley, CA in 1966 we have a long and storied legacy of enabling exploration, loving and protecting wild places, and creating iconic and technically advanced product.

By joining The North Face, you will help provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern-day explorer. You will also have the opportunity, tools and environment to more deeply explore the world around you and make meaningful, lasting connections.

What You Will Do

We’re looking for a passionate Senior Designer to join The North Face, a VF Company to become part of the Design Team based in Stabio, Switzerland. In this role you will be reporting into the Senior Design Manager, and will be responsible for the design of Lifestyle garments within the Men’s & Women’s (NSE- Never Stop Exploring) premium streetwear apparel collection.

Partnering within the design and product development teams, you will play a central role in creating newness and evolving the existing range. You need to be passionate about streetwear, be commercially in tune, innovative, influential and thrive in a team environment.

As a Lifestyle Senior Designer for The North Face, you will create the future of premium streetwear through innovative aesthetic execution. You will have a passion for the outdoors, innovation & street culture. Strong communication skills with teammates across the organization, solution oriented mindset & collaborative problem solving are key. Curiosity and the motivation to discover new methods of make will drive you. You will need to consistently demonstrate process proficiency through best practices and communication of ideas.

Primary accountabilities:

• Be a central, hands-on member of the EMEA Design Team. Establishing design & product creation excellence for the EMEA division.
• Research Lifestyle, Outdoor & Streetwear trends and stay up to date on contemporary styles & cultures, target consumer, wearing occasions & market opportunities.
• Work closely with Senior Design Manager to build seasonal concept, color, collection and development strategy.
• Work in close partnership with the rest of Design, Development, Merchandising, and Market Place teams
• Partner with Merchandising team to manage SKU plan, considering commercial needs, key price points and business opportunities.
• Create brand right/market-relevant product that meets expectations in terms of value and cost.
• Partner with Cross function team to develop new materials, construction techniques and support research into new developments.
• Working closely and communicating daily on challenges and changes that arise during the development of styles. Partner with the Product Developer & Fit Team to ensure a smooth work flow each season.
• High level of fabric knowledge plus a strong technical understanding of fits and constructions.
• Working to the Seasonal Calendar to meet deadlines
• Preparing all sketches (2D) for divisional presentations and workbooks.
• Work closely within the teams to align design aesthetics, seasonal details and creative ideas.
• Drive agile decision making on prototype reviews and have a strong knowledge of pricing & fit.
• In line with The North Face sustainability goals, play an active role in researching and introducing innovations to help achieve these.

How You'll Make A Difference…

We are looking for a real team player, who brings in creative and positive energy. The North Face product team is dynamic, strong and creative and we are looking for an inspiring personality that is full of energy and wants to push The North Face forward.

• Bachelor Level degree (or equivalent) in Fashion Design
• At least 6-8 years experience in Apparel Design / across Men’s & Women’s.
• Advanced presentation skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Advanced organization skills
• Advanced knowledge of fit and construction expertise
• Excellent attention to details
• Strong eye for trends in a streetwear and outdoor environment.
• Ability to build strong relationships with direct colleagues and across departments.
• Able to find best solutions to problems and inspire new working methods.
• A proactive, self-starter with strong communication skills.
• Experience working with overseas factories and fabric suppliers.
• Fully capable to manage responsibilities & tasks without direction.
• Must be flexible and adaptive to change.
• Software skills: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Microsoft.
• Languages: Excellent English communication & presentation skills.
• Availability to travel internationally, if required.