Energy Footwear Design Lead: Innovative Collaborations

Deckers Brands; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Bonuses

Employee discounts

Growth opportunities

Health & wellbeing programs

Job summary

Deckers Brands, Portland-based, seeks an Expert Designer, Energy - HOKA Footwear, to lead the design of innovative energy footwear and drive collaborations that shape brand stories.

You will guide the transition from Energy to Inline and define design paths from concept to commercial scale, mentoring a team and collaborating with cross-functional partners to deliver bold, market-facing products.

Qualifications

• Hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, or a related field.
• Bring 8+ years of experience in footwear design.
• Possess advanced understanding of footwear material, construction, and process (Tooling + Upper).
• Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Miro or Lucid.
• Demonstrate expertise in leading generative AI platforms (e.g., Midjourney, Vizcom).
• Exhibit strong leadership and communication skills, with a track record of building and mentoring creative environments.
• Have a portfolio showcasing both creative excellence and technical innovation in digital design.

Responsibilities

• Lead design of Energy category priority projects, including high-profile collaborations and brand-first stories.
• Manage transition from Energy to Inline with strategic design paths from incubation to scale.
• Contribute to design strategy, category constructs, and HOKA’s creative vision.
• Design forward-thinking performance and lifestyle footwear blending fashion and function.
• Translate inputs from partners and consumer insights into compelling concepts.
• Explore new materials and constructions to bring meaningful novelty to footwear.
• Create compelling design stories and develop accurate drawings, renderings, and tech packs.
• Mentor junior designers and guide cross-functional project execution.
• Lead product franchise vision and manage multi-designer execution.
• Set style and color direction and present insights internally and externally.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Creative leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Design/ Product Design/ Interaction Design

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

PowerPoint

Miro

Lucid

Midjourney

Vizcom

Job description

Deckers Brands, Portland-based, seeks an Expert Designer, Energy - HOKA Footwear, to lead the design of innovative energy footwear and drive collaborations that shape brand stories.

You will guide the transition from Energy to Inline and define design paths from concept to commercial scale, mentoring a team and collaborating with cross-functional partners to deliver bold, market-facing products.