Freelance Senior Sweater Designer

Title: Freelance Senior Sweater Designer 
Start: ASAP
End: on-going as of now
Location: NYC (in office 5 days a week)
Rate: $47/hr.

Line Development: Ensures that there is a synergy/common thread running through each line within the category, and that the season’s vision is accurately captured; Generates fresh, unique ideas and concepts through research: new fabrics, design techniques, etc.

Retail & Competitive Landscape: Maintains on-going awareness of the category’s impact and presence at retail, traveling to company-owned stores and key department store accounts as often and for as long as business demands; keenly in tune to the competition and brand strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Design Team

Management: Leads a diverse creative team to design at the speed of fashion; Cultivates design talent – trains, developments, performance manages – direct reports and contract resources; Retains and attracts high performing talent

Fiscal Accountability: Effectively manages and ensures adherence to design budget and calendar, including sample budgets, shipping budgets, etc.

Education and Experience:

• Ten (10) or more years of Design Leadership experience for a global fashion contemporary women’s apparel brand, required
• Proven ability to manage a Design Room, required
• College degree, or equivalent professional work experience, required

Skills and Behaviors:

• Fit knowledge is key, organized, fashion forward thinker, someone who likes to shop, research, work on developing new techniques and sweater concepts independently
• Proven ability to lead a design team to design at the speed of fashion and to cultivate design talent – training, development, performance management – direct reports and contract resources
• Development process expertise with reputational excellence working with overseas factories and vendors
• Fashion savvy with the critical ability to identify and interpret commercially viable trends. 
• Technical skill proficiency using Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, IllustratorMotivated to work in a high energy environment at the speed of fashion with ever-changing prioritiesConfident, capable, engaging and highly effective cross-functional written/verbal communication, teaming and interpersonal skills