Designer, Collaborations - West Elm

West Elm; New York (NY); On-site; USD 71,400 - 83,850; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous discount on all WSI brands

Health benefits including dental and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Job summary

West Elm is seeking a Designer in New York to support new product lines and development across various departments. The role includes managing product development meetings and deadlines while collaborating with multiple teams to ensure a seamless workflow.

A degree in Design is required, along with a minimum of 3 years of retail product design experience. Key benefits include health and wellness programs, 401(k) plan, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years experience in retail product design.
• Experience in collaborating with factories.
• Excellent time management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the product development meetings.
• Contribute to product presentations.
• Design and develop specs and concept boards.

Skills

Portfolio of current and past experience

Retail product design experience

Understanding of materials and pricing

Aspirational taste-level for interiors

Mass manufacturing experience

Technical design knowledge

Education

Degree in Design or equivalent experience

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Mac operating systems

Computer-aided design

Job description

Role Overview

As a Designer, you will support new product lines and product development process for each season for specific departments reflecting mood, market trends, and business needs. You will assist in product development meetings and communicate with agents, merchants, sourcing, and color teams. You will work with Senior Management to ensure all deadlines and key calendar dates are met. You will also support the Director and Head Design Manager in managing and collaborating with the rest of the team. This role requires being onsite in our office Monday to Friday.

Responsibilities

Seasonal Engagement

• Schedule and create agenda for the weekly Product Development meetings and Work Sessions.
• Access business results and support changes that arise from weekly business meetings.
• Assist and support seasonal product presentations to the team and senior management.
• Design and develop specs and concept boards while managing the concept through product approval.

Product Development Strategy

• Provide insights and training that aligns with team objectives.
• Contribute effective processes and procedures to improve workflow and results.
• Proactively support the calendar to recognize milestones and key dates.
• Develop strong business acumen to support each season; understand brand and financial goals, and support business and seasonal strategy.
• Recognize key fashion trends and analyze competition to bring new business opportunities or trends to the team.

Team Collaboration

• Utilize Product Lifecycle Management shared with cross-functional teams to review status of the development process.
• Maintain strong cross-functional partnership with Williams Sonoma Global Operations country partners, merchants, sourcing, engineering, and color team.
• Communicate the needs with global operations vendor partners and sourcing to enable vendors to execute design vision.
• Support department business needs and bring new ideas for specs and concept boards.
• Identify and resolve existing product issues that may arise.

Criteria

Design Experience

• Must provide a portfolio or website of current and past experience.
• Minimum 3 years retail product design experience.
• Degree in Design or equivalent experience.
• Experience designing category-specific product, keeping materials and pricing in mind.
• Experience identifying and contributing trends and inspiration based on the given concept direction.
• Must have aspirational taste-level with passion for interiors, home furnishings, color, design aesthetic, and industry trends.
• Mass manufacturing experience in a retail environment.
• (A plus) Domestic and overseas experience collaborating with factories, understanding price adjustment to reflect brand aesthetic.
• (A plus) Knowledge of construction and technical design.
• Understanding and enthusiasm for the brand.

Personal Leadership

• Ability to work independently as well as with a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and adapt to change.
• Extremely organized, efficient, and detail-oriented – excellent calendar adherence and ownership.
• Excellent time management and communication skills.
• Excellent cross-functional skills and partnership with merchandisers and product development team.
• Demonstrate visible leadership at the team and division level and initiate opportunities for continuous improvement.

Technical Proficiency

• Must be technically versed in category-specific product, creating detailed specs, product reviews, and feedback to vendors.
• Full proficiency in Mac operating systems with skill excellence in Adobe Creative Suite, Illustrator (plus for Studio), Photoshop, Computer-aided design, work management system, and 3D modeling skills.

Competencies

• Understand brand aesthetic, a creative and inspirational thinker.
• Design-minded, but also business-minded.
• High aptitude and agility to organize communications.
• Proactive when making strategic decisions; engage in the process.
• Understand calendar and deliverables, sense of urgency for deadlines.
• Confidence in cross-functional collaboration and teamwork through each season and process.

Benefits

• A generous discount on all WSI brands.
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities.
• Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer.
• Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits.
• Tax-free commuter benefits.
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health.

WSI will not now or in the future commence an immigration case or sponsor an individual for this position (for example, H-1B or other employment-based immigration). This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Williams‑Sonoma, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Williams‑Sonoma, Inc. will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, or other applicable state or local laws and ordinances.

The expected starting pay range for this position is $71,400–83,850. Applicable pay ranges may differ across markets. Actual pay will be determined based on experience and other job-related factors permitted by law. In addition to competitive pay, compensation may include a variety of other components such as benefits, paid time off, merit, and bonus opportunities.