CHILDREN & BACK TO SCHOOL SENIOR SHOES DESIGNER

CHILDREN & BACK TO SCHOOL SENIOR SHOES DESIGNER

The Bata Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and retailers of quality footwear. A global company with more than 30,000 employees, over 5,000 stores in more than 70 countries worldwide, Bata has been providing the best shoes at the best value for money, backed by unparalleled service, for more than 120 years. Since its founding in 1894 by Thomas Bata, the Company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to responsible and innovative business models in the belief that capital is not just money, but, above all, people, knowledge and core values. Today, Bata's pioneering principles enable the company to adapt quickly to market changes. It also continues Bata's long tradition of being sensitive to cultural and national differences and enables it to function proudly as an inclusive company in every country in which it operates.

With more than 270 shops in Italy, Spain and Portugal AW LAB is a laboratory of “urban sport style” trends that offers to its customers the coolest products of the moment, suggesting and inspiring them in creating their own style. Since opening its first store in 1997, with the name of Athletes World, AW LAB is part of the Bata group. AW LAB proposes a wide collection of sneakers of the most famous international sport brands and a wide range of exclusive designs created in collaboration with them. The proposal is completed by a collection of apparel and accessories of the leading sportswear brand and by two private clothing labels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE

We are seeking a Children & Back to School Senior Shoes Designer with a strong product-driven mindset to lead the creative and strategic development of our children’s shoes collections. This role goes beyond traditional design duties, combining creative leadership with product management responsibilities. You will be instrumental in shaping the seasonal structure of the collection, aligning with market insights, and ensuring commercial success by meeting target price points and development timelines.

KEY CHALLENGES

• Lead the design and development of kids shoes collections, from concept to final product;
• Define the collection architecture in collaboration with the merchandising and product teams, ensuring balance across categories, price points, and market needs;
• Conduct in-depth market and trend research to identify opportunities and guide product strategy;
• Collaborate closely with Technical Product Developer team and sourcing to ensure design feasibility, cost efficiency, and timely delivery;
• Maintain a strong understanding of material selection, construction techniques, and manufacturing processes to support quality and price objectives;
• Ensure the visual and brand consistency across all designs while pushing creative boundaries;
• Analyze sales data and consumer feedback to inform future collections and improve product performance;
• Act as a cross-functional leader, facilitating communication between design, merchandising, production, and marketing teams.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Cross-functional collaboration;
• Intercultural communication;
• Strategic thinking;
• Project and process management;
• Creative leadership;
• Flexibility and problem solving.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design or related field;
• 6+ years of experience in shoes design, preferably with a strong focus on kids or Athleisure shoes;
• Proven experience in collection planning and strategic product development;
• Solid understanding of product lifecycle, pricing strategies, and cost engineering;
• Strong market awareness and ability to translate insights into commercially successful products;
• Proficient Adobe creative suite (Illustrator & Photoshop);
• Microsoft excel / Google Sheets (Advance level) to understand and manage merchandising file.

LANGUAGES

• Fluent in English (spoken and written);
• Willing to travel to review final samples to the supplier and possible market visits;
• Spanish nice to have.

LOCATION

• Possibility of working in Smart Working for part of the week after an initial on-site training period

Seniority level

• Associate

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Design
• Industries: Retail, Retail Apparel and Fashion, and Retail Luxury Goods and Jewelry