Design Manager

Adjmi Apparel Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Adjmi Apparel Group seeks a Design Manager for Men’s and Boys Performance Active. This hands-on leader co-owns the product journey from inspiration to commercial adoption, ensuring calendar alignment, accuracy, and timely delivery across teams.

The role requires exceptional communication, strong design/construct knowledge, and the ability to keep multiple projects aligned while balancing performance, sustainability, and business goals. Full-time onsite in New York.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of apparel design, merchandising, product creation, or development experience.
• Exceptional organisational, verbal, written, and visual communication skills with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to manage complex calendars, competing priorities, and cross-functional workflows balancing creative intent and commercial priorities.
• Experience with PLM and digital collaboration platforms such as Miro, OD/Centric, or similar systems.
• Ability to influence without direct authority, bringing diverse teams and external partners together around a shared product vision.

Responsibilities

• Partner with VP of Design & Merchandising to co-own product creation workflows and translate meetings into clear action items across cross-functional teams.
• Manage internal and external development calendars, communicating shifting priorities, milestones, and timing risks.
• Drive fabric, color, print, and artwork direction, translating trends into compelling product concepts.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to maintain product accuracy, support sample making, and ensure timely costing and approvals.
• Serve as a communication link between internal teams and external partners, driving engagement and accountability.
• Own digital product development organization across multiple platforms; support fittings and coordinate follow-up changes.
• Drive competitive benchmarking, market validation, and process improvements to identify opportunities and speed up delivery.

Skills

Apparel design

Cross-functional collaboration

Verbal & written communication

Calendar management

Influence without authority

Tools

Miro

OD/Centric

PLM software

Job description

Design Manager – Men’s + Boys Performance Active

This is not a traditional Merchant or Design Manager role. You’ll co-own the product journey from a kernel of inspiration through co-creation to commercial adoption, connecting creative vision to technical execution while ensuring product accuracy, calendar alignment, and timely delivery.

You’re a natural connector who anticipates challenges, navigates competing priorities, and drives structure, accountability, and resolution in a fast-paced environment.

With a strong understanding of apparel design and construction, you know how to keep teams aligned, resolve issues, and move product forward.

This highly collaborative, people-facing role calls for exceptional verbal, written, and, most importantly, visual communication skills. You’ll translate emerging trends, consumer insights, and creative inspiration into compelling product concepts, innovative material solutions, and commercially relevant product, balancing performance, sustainability, and business objectives.

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

• Partner with the VP of Design & Merchandising to co-own product creation workflows, translating meetings into clear recaps, action items across x-functional teams.
• Manage internal and external development calendars, communicating shifting priorities, key milestones, and timing risks.
• Drive fabric, color, print, and artwork direction, connecting trend insights and creative vision to compelling product.
• Partner cross-functionally to maintain product accuracy, support sample making, and ensure timely costing and approvals.
• Serve as a key communication link between internal teams and external partners, driving engagement, alignment, accountability, and follow-through.
• Own digital product development organization across multiple platforms; support fittings, communicate product changes, and coordinate follow-up.
• Drive competitive benchmarking, market validation, and process improvements to identify opportunities, enhance speed, and strengthen cross-functional alignment.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• 7+ years of experience in apparel design, merchandising, product creation, or emerging approaches to product development.
• Exceptional organisational, verbal, written, and visual communication skills, with strong attention to detail, sound judgement, and follow-through.
• Proven ability to manage complex calendars, competing priorities, and cross-functional workflows while balancing creative intent, technical feasibility, timing, and commercial priorities.
• Experience with PLM and digital collaboration platforms such as Miro, OD/Centric, or similar systems.
• The ability to influence without direct authority, bringing diverse teams and external partners together around a shared product vision.

The position is full-time, onsite.