Footwear Design Manager

  • BCorp Certified- We care about the trails we wear our footwear on.
  • Join us as we continue to grow our brand globally!
  • Great work environment with amazing office perks- ask us for more details

About Obōz…
Obōz Footwear is a hiking footwear brand founded in 2007. Bozeman, Montana is an outdoor adventurer’s paradise and it’s our home. It's what motivates us to lace up daily and explore the 18 million acres of Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that surround us. A vast and breathtaking landscape just waiting to be explored on two feet. Bozeman is where it all started and it’s what inspired our name. Outside + Bozeman = Obōz. 

About the role…
The role of Footwear Design Manager, reporting directly to our Director of M&D based in our office in Bozeman, Montana.

The Footwear Design manager is accountable for driving the product vision in partnership with product management and leadership. They are responsible for the facilitation of multiple aspects of the overall design process including seasonal design and development support of multiple footwear projects across various categories. The designer must be able to push the limits within multiple categories, while designing to a brief, and balancing their managerial responsibilities.  A high level of creativity and innovation is necessary, in addition to a high level of organization and tactical thinking. They must possess an intense problem-solving drive, for designing outdoor performance driven product, in a muti-seasonal product creation environment.

Responsibilities:

Seasonal Footwear Design (in-line and innovation)

  •  Ability to ideate multiple footwear styles, across multiple categories, multiple times per season.
  • Assemble and build inspirational, and product relevant, presentations to help sell in concepts on a seasonal basis.
  • Present cost effective, as well as innovative, solutions to meet real world end-use footwear needs.
  • Create detailed technical deliverables (tech packs), both for uppers and any molded tooling, to be used by the development and design engineering teams as part of the development process.
  • Specify materials (and constructions) to meet end use needs, as well as cost and manufacturability requirements.
  • Stay abreast of trends and manufacturing through research and market travel to influence design and product direction – future
  • Collaborate with PM and leadership to contribute to design and product vision across product offering for current and future seasons


Design Engineering and Development Support

  • Collaborate with Development and Design Engineering teams to assure design intent is met, as well as address manufacturing feasibility of style throughout the process.
  • Execute pattern redlines, tooling revisions and any necessary construction solutions in a timely manner.
  • Meet Oboz product playbook requirements for turnaround times, to meet calendar expectations and help facilitate a timely process.


Color Design

  • Execute and support overall color design deliverables, across all genders, to meet specific needs of seasonal color briefs.
  • Distribution of color workload, and external communication with color merch contractors
  • Collaborating with the Color team to provide blocking and color strategy, material considerations and feedback


Design process facilitation

  • Lead 3D process and facilitation of Oboz Digital model creation and internal distribution
  • Facilitation of seasonal design
  • Oversight and weekly task management of design team, including quarterly reviews and goal setting
  • External Contractor Communication


Requirements: 

  • 7+ years of professional footwear, industrial design or equipment experience.
  • Strong drafting skills, digital or traditional, and the ability to convey multiple concepts efficiently within set deadlines.
  • Expert knowledge of design related software in a Mac environment: Illustrator & Photoshop, Procreate, sketchbook pro, etc. (and any 3D experience is a plus).
  • A strong knowledge of materials, fabrications and production techniques pertaining to outdoor footwear.
  • Experience in taking product from a sketch to reality, and the drive to cost engineer such products as necessary.
  • Strong experience balancing out the needs of designing products, and project management.
  • A great portfolio showcasing your experience.

    How to apply…
    Obōz has a small but growing family-feel team. We care about our customers, the outdoors and each other. We love the outdoors and are passionate about doing the right thing for a more sustainable world for us all to share. Are you in? Obōz is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. APPLY HERE.