Design Assistant

Marine Layer; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 46,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

Dental Insurance

401k with Matching

Flexible Spending Accounts

Cell Phone Reimbursement

Flexible Time Off

Job summary

Marine Layer is seeking a Design Assistant to support our Men's Design team across the full product development cycle. This hands-on role is ideal for someone early in their design career who wants exposure to every stage of apparel development, working with designers, tech design, and production to keep the line moving season after season.

You will translate direction into sketches, CADs, and flats using Illustrator, track samples, organize the design archive, and assist with tech packs while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Merchandising, or related field.
• 0–2 years of experience in apparel design or product development; internship experience in menswear a plus.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Strong organizational skills and close attention to detail, with the ability to juggle multiple styles and deadlines.
• Clear communicator, comfortable coordinating across design, tech, and production teams.

Responsibilities

• Assist design team across the full product development cycle.
• Create seasonal concept boards, mood boards, and trend presentations.
• Translate design direction into sketches, CADs, and flat drawings using Illustrator.
• Track incoming samples and manage the sample room for fittings and reviews.
• Build and maintain line sheets, style summaries, and seasonal trackers.
• Prepare samples and materials for fit sessions and market appointments.
• Assist with tech packs, PLM entries, and vendor communications.
• Collaborate with Tech Design, Merchandising, and Production to move styles through calendar.

Skills

Illustrator

Photoshop

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or related field

Tools

PLM

Job description

Marine Layer designs and manufactures its own line of casual apparel. We have 50 of our own stores (and counting) across the country, along with a thriving ecommerce and wholesale business. Our success has been built on a small, hard-working team that has a lot of fun and passionately believes in what we are building. We’ve managed to transition from a start-up into a national brand by staying true to our roots and thoughtfully expanding the team with some incredibly talented (and fun) people who want to help us build something special. That’s where you come in…

At Marine Layer our commitment to being a positive impact on our communities and planet is at the core of our mission as a B Corporation. We embed social and environmental responsibility into our operations, including employee training focused on these issues and managerial roles that explicitly address performance in these areas.

Job Description

Marine Layer is looking for a Design Assistant to support our Men's Design team across the full product development cycle. This is a hands-on, detail-oriented role ideal for someone early in their design career who wants exposure to every stage of apparel development. You'll work closely with designers, Tech Design, and Production to keep the men's line moving smoothly season over season.

Scope

Design Support & Concept Development

• Assist designers in creating seasonal concept boards, mood boards, and trend presentations
• Help translate design direction into sketches, CADs, and flat drawings using Illustrator
• Research trends, competitive product, fabrics, and styling to support design concepts
• Maintain and organize the design team's inspiration and reference archive

Sample & Line Management

• Track incoming samples against the development calendar and flag missing or late submissions
• Organize and maintain the sample room, ensuring styles are labeled, sorted, and easy to locate for fittings and reviews
• Build and maintain line sheets, style summaries, and seasonal assortment trackers
• Prepare samples and materials for fit sessions, design reviews, and market appointments
• Request and organize fabric swatches, lab dips, and trim submits from vendors
• Maintain the materials library, keeping fabric and trim cards current and accessible
• Support designers in tracking approval status of fabrics, trims, and washes

Technical & Administrative Support

• Assist with tech pack creation and updates, ensuring specs and comments stay current
• Help maintain PLM system entries, including style numbers, BOMs, and status updates
• Coordinate communication with vendors and factories on routine development requests
• Support the team with general administrative tasks — scheduling fittings, ordering supplies, preparing meeting materials

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Tech Design, Merchandising, and Production to keep styles moving through the development calendar
• Attend fit sessions and design reviews, taking notes and tracking follow-up action items

Nice to Haves

• Familiarity with PLM or similar product development systems
• Basic understanding of garment construction and technical specs
• Experience working in a fast-paced, seasonal apparel calendar

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Merchandising, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 0–2 years of experience in apparel design or product development; internship experience in menswear a plus
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
• Strong organizational skills and close attention to detail, with the ability to juggle multiple styles and deadlines
• Genuine interest in menswear, streetwear, and current market trends
• Clear communicator, comfortable coordinating across design, tech, and production teams
• A proactive, can-do attitude and willingness to jump into whatever the team needs
• Flexible time off
• Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance available
• 401k with Matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Cell Phone Reimbursement

Marine Layer is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that welcomes applicants and employees of all genders, races, backgrounds, orientations, and nationalities.