Licensing & Brand Design Associate

Carter's Inc.; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid in-office environment (Buckhead

Job summary

Carter’s Inc. is seeking a Design Associate to support the Brand Heat & Licensing Team in Buckhead, Atlanta, in a hybrid in-office environment. The role emphasizes trend-driven storytelling, collaborations, and creating prints and graphics for collections.

The candidate should have strong Illustrator skills, a portfolio, and experience in graphic design and print development. The position involves leading meetings, presenting concepts, and collaborating across functions to move projects forward.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Miro and Microsoft Office. Must have a portfolio.
• Experience with graphic design and print and pattern creation.
• Strong visual presentation skills with the ability to help create compelling decks, boards, and concept materials.
• Confidence in leading meetings, presenting concepts and design work, and delivering clear, constructive design feedback to cross-functional partners.
• Strong interest in collaborations, licensing, trend research, brand storytelling, and culturally relevant product creation.
• Ability to work independently with limited day-to-day direction while managing multiple priorities.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work through challenges proactively before escalating for support.

Responsibilities

• 50% Design Process & Communication: Support fast-turn concept development for Brand Heat initiatives, including collaborations, licensing capsules, trend-driven storytelling, and culturally relevant product opportunities.
• Prepare polished concept decks, presentation materials, and product boards that clearly communicate creative direction to leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Partner closely with design, merchandising, product development, marketing, brand leadership, and license partners to align on deliverables, provide design feedback, and move work forward.
• Create original prints, patterns, and graphic artwork for collections, and apply them to product sketches and CADs
• Manage day-to-day execution of special projects, including line sheets, Miro updates, silhouette tracking, color palettes, and ongoing communication with internal teams.
• Support product execution through pre-production art review, fittings, sketch updates, and design detail edits that impact final commercialization.
• 30% Product Line Development: Support development of special capsule collections and collaboration concepts that may sit outside of core seasonal line architecture.
• Adapt existing silhouettes or create newness for collaboration, licensing, and trend-right product opportunities while maintaining accuracy across style details, graphics, trims, materials, and presentation assets.
• Sketch technical drawings in Illustrator, apply prints and graphics to working line sheets, update the silo matrix, and independently design portions of a program with supervisor mentorship.
• 20% Creative Concept: Research consumer trends, popular culture, competitive collaborations, influencers, artists, and licensing opportunities to inform Brand Heat ideation.
• Translate consumer insights and trend research into brand-right collaboration ideas, creative concepts, and storytelling across silhouette, trim, color, print, and graphic direction.
• Contribute to inspiration boards, collaboration decks, sample requests, and presentation-ready creative materials for internal and external reviews.

Skills

Adobe Illustrator

Miro

Microsoft Office

Portfolio required

Design critique & presentation

Trend research & storytelling

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Miro

Microsoft Office

Job description

Carter’s Inc. is seeking a Design Associate to support the Brand Heat & Licensing Team in Buckhead, Atlanta, in a hybrid in-office environment. The role emphasizes trend-driven storytelling, collaborations, and creating prints and graphics for collections.

The candidate should have strong Illustrator skills, a portfolio, and experience in graphic design and print development. The position involves leading meetings, presenting concepts, and collaborating across functions to move projects forward.