Job Description:
Your OpportunityAs a
Senior Trend & Design Strategist, you will help define the future direction of our Private Brands portfolio by translating cultural shifts, customer behaviors, trend intelligence, and strategic priorities into actionable creative direction. You will operate at the front end of the product creation process, identifying future opportunities that inspire innovation, influence assortment strategies, and strengthen brand differentiation.
Through a combination of trend forecasting, creative storytelling, and strategic thinking, you will help teams visualize what is next and transform emerging opportunities into meaningful product and customer experiences. Your work will influence product innovation, seasonal storytelling, assortment evolution, and long-term portfolio growth across one of the most diverse product portfolios in the pet industry.
About The TeamThe Trend & Design Strategy team owns the development of future-focused trend concepts, aesthetic direction, seasonal stories, and creative frameworks that inspire product innovation and guide design direction across Private Brands. The team translates portfolio strategy, customer insights, cultural shifts, market intelligence, and emerging aesthetics into actionable creative direction that influences product design, innovation priorities, and assortment evolution.
Working closely with Product Design, Technical Design, Brand Strategy, Category Management, Marketing, and enterprise partners, the team helps identify future growth opportunities, create differentiated customer experiences, and establish creative frameworks that guide future product development. Success in this role requires balancing creativity, strategic thinking, customer understanding, and business acumen to influence how brands remain relevant, differentiated, and connected to evolving customer needs.
What You'll DoTrend Intelligence & Future Forecasting- Continuously monitor and synthesize trend forecasting services, consumer insights, cultural shifts, market intelligence, competitive landscapes, and emerging industries to identify future opportunities.
- Identify macro trends, emerging customer behaviors, and cultural movements that may influence future product, category, and portfolio direction.
- Connect trend intelligence, portfolio priorities, customer insights, and business objectives to identify opportunities for innovation and growth.
- Translate evolving customer needs and market dynamics into actionable opportunities that support future assortment and portfolio strategies.
- Integrate trend intelligence, strategic priorities, and customer insights into future-focused creative direction.
Strategic Influence & Future Vision- Partner with Brand Strategy teams to identify where brands have permission to evolve, expand, and remain culturally relevant over time.
- Serve as a future-focused creative voice within Product Development, helping teams understand emerging opportunities and future customer needs.
- Influence innovation and assortment direction by translating future-focused trends into actionable creative opportunities.
- Develop compelling presentations, strategic narratives, and visual storytelling that help stakeholders understand opportunities that do not yet exist.
- Translate trend opportunities into recommendations that influence assortment planning, innovation priorities, and growth strategies.
- Educate and influence cross-functional partners by connecting trend, culture, and customer behavior to clear business implications.
Creative Direction & Concept Development- Create inspirational and actionable trend direction including color palettes, material direction, print and pattern concepts, illustration guidance, iconography, and form language.
- Develop future-focused trend concepts, seasonal stories, and creative frameworks that guide product innovation and assortment planning.
- Translate trend intelligence into creative direction that aligns with established brand principles, portfolio strategies, and customer expectations.
- Build compelling visual tools including mood boards, concept stories, inspiration frameworks, and design narratives that guide creative teams.
- Establish seasonal and long-term aesthetic direction that creates consistency across products, collections, and customer experiences.
- Provide creative direction to design, graphic, illustration, and pattern development partners to support concept execution.
Cross-Functional Partnership & Influence- Collaborate closely with Product Design, Technical Design, Brand Strategy, Category Management, Marketing, and enterprise partners to bring future-focused opportunities to life.
- Partner with Portfolio Strategy teams to translate long-term business opportunities into trend concepts, creative frameworks, and future product direction.
- Establish trend direction and creative frameworks that provide a clear foundation for Product Design and Technical Design teams.
- Build strong relationships across creative and business teams to ensure opportunities are actionable, aligned, and strategically relevant.
- Influence decision-making through compelling storytelling, customer insights, trend expertise, and strategic recommendations.
What You'll Need- 8+ years of experience in Trend Strategy, Trend Forecasting, Creative Strategy, Product Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Brand Strategy, or a related field.
- Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Fashion Design, Product Design, or equivalent professional experience.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, XD, or similar design software.
- Experience leveraging trend forecasting, customer insights, cultural intelligence, and market research to influence product or brand strategies.
- Strong visual communication and storytelling skills, including development of trend reports, mood boards, concept presentations, and strategic narratives.
- Experience translating future-focused opportunities into actionable creative direction and business recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and build alignment around emerging opportunities and innovation strategies.
- Strong strategic thinking, presentation, communication, and collaboration skills.
Bonus- Experience supporting consumer products, retail, private brands, pet, home, lifestyle, fashion, or related industries.
- Experience developing seasonal trend strategies, aesthetic frameworks, or innovation roadmaps.
- Familiarity with trend forecasting platforms, consumer research tools, and market intelligence resources.
- Experience partnering with creative, product development, marketing, or brand teams to bring trend direction to life.
- Knowledge of color, material, graphic, print, and pattern development processes.
What You'll GetOur salary range for this position is competitive and based on experience and qualifications. In addition to a competitive compensation package, Team Members may be eligible for a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a 401(k) with company matching, paid parental leave, employee assistance programs, paid time off, and Team Member discounts.
The base salary range for this role is $124,500 - $199,000.00.
- The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to the candidate's relevant experience, education, and work location. In addition, this position is eligible for 401k and a new hire and annual equity grant. C08+ positions may also be eligible for annual bonus.
We offer different types of insurance and benefits, such as medical/Rx, vision, dental, life, disability, hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident. We offer parental leave, family services benefits, backup dependent care, flexible spending accounts, telemedicine, pet adoption reimbursement, employee assistance program, and many discounts including 10% off pet insurance and 20% off at Chewy.com.
Exempt salary team members have unlimited PTO, subject to manager approval. Team members will receive six paid holidays per year. Team members may be eligible for paid sick and family leave in compliance with applicable state and local regulations.
