Footwear Designer

Dnam Brands; Sydney; On-site; AUD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

DNAM Brands is seeking a Footwear Designer to join our design team in Sydney. You will take styles from concept through to production-ready specs, collaborating with product development, merchandising, and overseas factories.

This fast-paced role values a material- and construction-focused mindset with a strong street- and shelf-forecasting instinct. Responsibilities include designing men's and women's footwear across brands, developing tech packs, and guiding styles from proto through TOP

Qualifications

• 2+ years of footwear design experience in fashion, lifestyle, or athletic categories.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and familiarity with 3D tools.
• Strong portfolio showing range across casual, fashion, and/or performance footwear.
• Deep knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage several brands or projects at once.
• Experience working with overseas factories and a clear understanding of costing and production timelines.

Responsibilities

• Design both men and women's footwear across multiple brands.
• Involvement throughout production from concept to final sample approval.
• Create detailed tech packs with materials, colorways, construction notes, and measurements.
• Own the process from proto to TOP approval, ensuring brand consistency.
• Document feedback and issue production-ready corrections to factories.
• Ensure timely sample turnaround by communicating with factories.
• Partner with Design and Production to balance aesthetics with manufacturability and cost.
• Manage multiple projects against the seasonal calendar and keep deliverables on track.
• Maintain organized technical files to support development-to-bulk transitions.

Skills

Footwear design

Adobe Illustrator

3D tools

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

3D tools

Job description

Footwear Designer

DNAM Brands is a family-owned and operated company that owns and licenses a portfolio of globally recognized fashion and lifestyle brands, including Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, Valentino Orlandi, Allbirds, Badgley Mischka, and more.

We're looking for a Footwear Designer to join our growing design team. You'll take styles from concept through to production-ready specs, working closely with product development, merchandising and overseas factories. This role suits someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, thinks in materials and construction, and has a strong instinct for what's next on the shelf and on the street.

Responsibilities

• Design both men and women's footwear across multiple brands.
• Involvement throughout the production process, from the initial concept through final sample approval, aligning with brand DNA and merchandising direction.
• Create detailed tech packs including material callouts, colorways, construction notes, and measurements
• Own the process from first proto through TOP approval, ensuring consistency and alignment with brand standards
• Document feedback clearly, and issue detailed, production-ready corrections to factories
• Ensure timely sample turnaround by anticipating production risks and communicating daily with factories
• Partner cross-functionally with Design and Production to balance aesthetic intent with manufacturability and cost efficiency
• Manage multiple projects against the seasonal calendar and keep deliverables on track
• Maintain organized, up-to-date technical files to support seamless development-to-bulk transitions

Qualifications

• 2+ years of footwear design experience in fashion, lifestyle, or athletic categories
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and familiarity with 3D tools
• Strong portfolio showing range across casual, fashion, and/or performance footwear
• Deep knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, materials, and manufacturing processes
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage several brands or projects at once
• Experience working with overseas factories and a clear understanding of costing and production timelines
• Excellent hand-sketching and communication skills; comfortable presenting ideas and taking direction