Deckers Brands

Director, Color Design - HOKA Footwear

Deckers Brands$154K — $208K *
Consumer Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in industrial or product design.
  • 10+ years of experience in footwear color design, across performance and lifestyle.
  • 3-5+ years managing creative teams.
  • Proven track record of commercially successful global product design.
  • Expertise in color theory and application in footwear design.
  • Deep understanding of materials and product construction.
  • Experience with 3D/AI design tools like Vizcom and Midjourney.

Responsibilities

  • Define and evolve the global HOKA footwear color vision across categories.
  • Develop annual and seasonal color strategies and palettes that are globally scalable.
  • Translate macro trends and consumer insights into unique color systems.
  • Lead color direction for key footwear categories, ensuring differentiation.
  • Drive color storytelling that enhances product innovation and performance credibility.
  • Champion bold color solutions that resonate emotionally with consumers.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align color with business strategies.

Benefits

  • Competitive pay and bonuses to encourage career development.
  • Financial planning support to help employees achieve their monetary goals.
  • Time off to recharge and focus on health and family.
  • Generous discounts and community-based programs for employees.
  • Extensive opportunities for personal and professional growth.
  • Comprehensive health and wellness programs supporting a healthy lifestyle.
Full Job Description
Job Title: Director, Color Design - HOKA Footwear

Reports to: VP, Design - Global HOKA

Location: Portland, OR - In-Office

The Role

HOKA is redefining performance and lifestyle footwear through visionary innovation, emotion, and cultural relevance. As Director, Color Design, you will lead the global color vision for HOKA Footwear, elevating color as a strategic lever to shape consumer perception, storytelling, and commercial impact. You'll drive long-term color strategy, seasonal direction, and execution frameworks across categories, partnering with Footwear Design, Materials, Product, Merchandising, and Marketing to ensure a cohesive and differentiated HOKA expression-balancing performance authenticity with cultural relevance.

Your Impact

Define and evolve the global HOKA footwear color vision across Performance and Lifestyle categories.
Develop annual and seasonal color strategies, palettes, and expression frameworks that scale globally.
Translate macro trends, consumer insight, and brand direction into ownable color systems.
Lead color direction across key footwear categories and franchises, ensuring consistency and differentiation.
Drive color storytelling that enhances product innovation, material expression, and performance credibility.
Champion bold, disruptive, and emotionally resonant color solutions that push the brand forward.
Partner closely with Product, Merchandising, Development, Innovation, and Marketing to align color with business strategy.
Lead and develop a high-performing Footwear Color Design team, providing mentorship, feedback, and growth opportunities.
Guide integration of color into broader design storytelling and product narratives.
Maintain strong awareness of lifestyle, sport-style, performance, and performance-crossover landscapes.

Who You Are

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in industrial design, product design, or a related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in footwear color design (performance and/or lifestyle).
  • 3-5+ years of leadership experience managing creative teams.
  • Proven ability to deliver globally relevant, commercially successful product.
  • Expert in color theory, storytelling, and application in footwear.
  • Deep knowledge of materials, construction, and product creation.
  • Strong ability to connect performance innovation to lifestyle expression.
  • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
  • Experience with 3D / AI design tools (Vizcom, Midjourney, Figma, etc.).
  • Exceptional visual storytelling, presentation, and communication skills.
  • Strong organizational, prioritization, and project leadership capabilities.
  • Ability to lead in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
  • Portfolio demonstrating strategic color leadership and execution at scale.

What We'll Give You -
  • Competitive Pay and Bonuses - We've created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they're valued.
  • Financial Planning and wellbeing - No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.
  • Time away from work - Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees' needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
  • Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras
  • Growth and Development - Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That's why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
  • Health and Wellness - There's nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.


$154,700.00 - $208,800.00

The salary range posted reflects the estimated minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for this role in:
Portland, Oregon

Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process.

About Deckers Brands

Deckers Brands is a global leader in designing, marketing, and distributing innovative footwear, apparel, and accessories developed for both everyday casual lifestyle use and high-performance activities. The Company's portfolio of brands includes UGG®, KOOLABURRA®, HOKA ONE ONE®, Teva®, and Sanuk®. Deckers Brands products are sold in more than 50 countries and territories through select department and specialty stores, Company-owned and operated retail stores, and select online stores, including Company-owned websites. Deckers Brands has a 40-year history of building niche footwear brands into lifestyle market leaders attracting millions of loyal consumers globally. To learn more about Deckers Brands, visit www.deckers.com.
Learn more about Deckers Brands
Size
4,000 employees
Market Cap
$10.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$365.2 million
Founded
1973
5 Year Trend
+12%
Revenue
$2.3 billion
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Deckers Brands

More Consumer Technology Jobs

Find similar Director, Color Design - HOKA Footwear jobs: