About the Role:The Scotch & Soda Kids Design Director/Boy's Designer leads Boys' design from concept through production and directs overall design direction, calendar adherence, and cohesion across the Kids area, working in conjunction with the Girls Senior Designer, Graphic Designer, and Senior Graphic Designer. In the Boys Designer's absence, this role also assumes that position and overall Kids area oversight. The Design Director brings strong design skills, market and trend knowledge, and leadership ability to deliver innovative, commercially viable products for a collaborative, high-performing Kids team.
Responsibilities:1. Direct Daily Operations
- Design, sketch, and develop seasonal Boys' collections for Scotch & Soda Kids, from concept through production, while directing overall design direction across the Kids area (Boys, Girls, and Graphics).
- Manage the Kids Design Development Calendar, ensuring calendar adherence, on-time tech pack delivery, and cohesion across Boys, Girls, and Graphic design workstreams.
- Produce and maintain detailed tech packs, CADs, and PLM style input; follow up daily with factories on tech pack creation, revision, and approval.
2. Communication and Collaboration:
- Work in conjunction with the Girls Senior Designer, Graphic Designer, and Senior Graphic Designer, providing direction, feedback, and coordination across the Kids team.
- Serve as the primary liaison between design, merchandising, sales, and production, ensuring product suits customer, market, and price-point requirements.
- Present design concepts, seasonal line plans, and merchandising direction to leadership and key stakeholders.
3. Continuous Improvement
- Standardize color, fabric, and trim selections across the Kids line to maintain a cohesive brand aesthetic and improve speed to market.
- Partner with factories and the costing team to negotiate pricing and refine designs for cost efficiency without compromising quality.
- Evaluate and improve existing design and merchandising processes to enhance efficiency, consistency, and output quality.
4. Continuing Education
- Stay current on fashion, childrenswear, and competitive market trends, translating insights into commercially viable design direction.
- Maintain and expand proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, CAD, and PLM systems to support evolving design and merchandising needs
- Pursue ongoing professional development in design leadership and merchandising strategy to support growth into broader Kids category oversight.
Minimum Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Merchandising, or a related field.
- 8-10 years of design experience, including proven experience in childrenswear/kids apparel design.
- Proven leadership experience, including managing, mentoring, and developing a creative team.
Experience:- 8-10+ years of experience in apparel/childrenswear design, with hands-on Boys' design experience.
- Experience managing or mentoring designers, with strong leadership, delegation, and team-building skills.
- Hands-on experience with PLM systems, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator & Photoshop), Microsoft Office, and
Acrobat. - Experience developing tech packs and CADs, and managing product development calendars from concept
through production.
