Job Ad

The North Face, a VF Company

At The North Face we dare to lead the world forward through Exploration. We were born to Explore. We were born to Disrupt. We were born to Lead.

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.

We believe that exploration is a mindset – both on the mountain and off the mountain – and it infuses everything we do. As a community of explorers, we stay curious about new ideas, places and people.

Our values:

Love wild places

Spark curiosity

Dare to disrupt

Create community

Lead with integrity

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
The North Face has an amazing opportunity within the EMEA Design Team and has an opening for an experienced Design Manager to drive the Lifestyle (Off-Mountain) product. Working within the creative team, you will play a central role in creating newness and evolving existing ranges. You need to be passionate about design, commercially smart, influential and thrive in a team environment.

As a senior member of the Design Team at The North Face you will be responsible for creatively driving the off-mountain / lifestyle apparel collections while ensuring alignment with the brand seasonal direction, business needs and brand values.

Partnering closely with the EMEA Design Director and supporting their vision, you must have the ability to apply creative leadership and design skills to create market/brand relevant collections and guide the teams throughout the creative process.

Collaboration is key as you will partner closely with team members accountable on the same category (i.e.: Development, Merchandising & Marketing) and global counterparts.

Primary accountabilities:

• Be a central, hands-on member of the EMEA Product Team. Establishing design & product creation excellence and leading by example


• Manage a team of 4 designers, plus freelancers and graphic agencies


• Drive a strong sustainability & circularity vision anchored around The North Face 2025 Sustainability Commitments.


• Ensure the team delivers against the seasonal calendar milestones, product timelines & seasonal objectives


• Research Urban, Outdoor & Lifestyle trends and stay up to date on contemporary styles & trends


• Work in close partnership with Development Managers, Merchandise Managers and Global Design Counterparts


• Monitor product development to ensure style, fit, quality, detail requirements are addressed


• Work closely with Design Director to build seasonal concepts and colour strategy


• Address Target consumer, wearing occasions, market opportunities


• Drive Materials selection with Material specialists, Developers & Designers


• Review of technical CAD drawings


• Drive agile decision making on prototype reviews


• Internal and external collection presentations


• Partner with Merchandising team to manage SKU plan, considering commercial needs, key price points, business opportunities and a ‘good, better, best philosophy


• Create brand right/market-relevant product that meets expectations in terms of value and cost.


• Design new, trend-driven product as well as evolving successful items from the past


• Consider margin & price points to meet costing goals


• Research trends, fits, textiles and new technology


• Partner with Design Director and global teams to create brand consistency


• Inspire, mentor & manage the in-house creative team with a sharing approach to ideas and ‘best practice’ solutions


• Represent design in Sales, Merchandising & Marketing meetings and work closely with Merchandising & Development teams


• Have a strong knowledge of pricing & fit and attend regular fitting & costing meetings


• Sketch new seasonal designs

How You'll Make A Difference…

The North Face fundamental mission remains unchanged since 1966:
Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration.

We are looking for a real team player, who brings in creative and positive energy. The North Face design 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.

• Education: Bachelor's degree or (equivalent) in Apparel Design


• Experience: 8+ years previous experience in an Apparel Design role, with at least 2 years leading a team


• Languages: Excellent English communication & presentation skills


• Software skills: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Microsoft


• Strong understanding of apparel, the industry and trends


• Exceptional communication & collaborative skills


• A passion for leadership & positively developing a strong, creative team.


• An incredibly strong knowledge of the creative process, from conception through to launch.


• A clear ability to share & influence best working practices


• Ability to build strong relationships with direct colleagues and across departments


• Passionate about sustainability & circularity


• Able to find best solutions to problems and inspire new working methods


• Strong knowledge of knit, woven and outerwear product is essential


• Strong product development knowledge


• Experience working with overseas factories and fabric suppliers


• Strong eye for trends in both an urban and outdoor environment


• Ability to travel internationally, if required


• Able to manage responsibilities & tasks without direction


• Must be flexible and adaptive to change