Senior Designer, Men's - Nordstrom Made

Brobston Group; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

Nordstrom is seeking a Senior Designer for Nordstrom Made to lead a design team across multiple apparel categories from concept through production. You will shape the brand DNA and season concepts, collaborating with the Design Director to deliver trend-right designs that drive commercial results.

You will mentor staff, build quality design cards and tech packs, and partner with Merchandising, Production, and Technical Design to protect vision while maximizing margins.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive apparel design experience, with established American lifestyle or heritage brands preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or related field.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing direct reports on a design team.
• Hands-on knowledge of fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish development with strong taste level and point of view.
• Elevated design eye with ability to track deliverables and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Deep expertise in garment construction, sketching, and fabric; cross-functional collaboration knowledge.
• Strong presentation and communication skills; proficient in MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of multiple apparel categories each season from concept to production samples.
• Conduct global research on silhouette, color, and fabric innovation with premium materials; translate into commercially viable direction.
• Develop and source premium fabrics, yarns, trims, and construction techniques with Production and Sourcing; balance innovation and feasibility.
• Lead fittings to ensure impeccable construction, drape, and tailoring standards; maintain design cards and tech packs.
• Partner with Merchandising, Production, and Technical Design to protect product integrity while maximizing gross margin.
• Manage, mentor, and coach direct reports from assistant to designer level.
• Create presentation boards, CAD artwork, and illustrations to convey seasonal vision to leadership and merchants.

Skills

Design leadership

Apparel design experience

Garment construction

Fabric knowledge

Sketching/CAD

Adobe Creative Suite

MS Office

Mentoring

Tailoring experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or related field

Tools

CAD software

Job description

Job Description

NOTE: This position is located at Nordstrom's downtown Seattle headquarters and follows a hybrid work model, with four days in the office and one remote workday each week.

We don't just sell cutting-edge fashion and accessories; we create them. Our talented fashion design team, Nordstrom Made, develops, designs, produces, and sources all Nordstrom-brand products. From traditional to trendy, this team shapes the styles and looks our customers love. And now, we have an exciting opportunity to join this team.

As a Senior Designer for one of our Nordstrom Made brands, you will lead a design team in the creative vision and execution of apparel designs that express the brand's DNA and each season's concept direction. Reporting to the Design Director, you will manage the design and development of multiple categories from concept through production approval and contribute directly to fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish. Partnering with the Design Director to interpret seasonal direction, you will build curated, thoughtful designs that are trend-right and drive commercial results.

The ideal candidate pairs an elevated design eye with strong executive function: someone who can track overlapping deliverables and keep multiple seasons and workstreams moving without losing sight of the details. You have experience across multiple apparel categories, know how to drive design development, and have a proven ability to develop design talent. Tailoring experience is a plus.

A day in the life...

• Lead the design and development of multiple apparel categories each season, from initial concept, sketch, and fabric selection through final production samples.
• Conduct global research on seasonal silhouette, color, and fabric innovation, with an emphasis on premium materials and traditional textiles, and translate findings into commercially viable direction that reflects the brand's point of view.
• Develop and source premium fabrics, yarns, trims, hardware, and construction techniques in partnership with Production and Sourcing, balancing innovation with production feasibility.
• Lead fittings to ensure impeccable construction, drape, and tailoring standards, and maintain accurate design cards and tech packs.
• Partner closely with Merchandising, Production, and Technical Design to protect product integrity and the original design vision while maximizing gross margin.
• Manage, mentor, and coach direct reports at the assistant-to-designer level, driving accountability and fostering creative excellence.
• Create presentation boards, CAD artwork, and illustrations that communicate the seasonal vision to leadership and merchants, and maintain an archive of seasonal concepts and artwork to inform future development.

You own this if you have...

• 8+ years of progressive apparel design experience (experience designing within an established American lifestyle or heritage-driven brand and experience designing in outerwear, tailoring, or structured wovens are preferred)
• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or a related field preferred
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing direct reports on a design team
• Hands-on knowledge of fabric, silhouette, and detail/fit/finish development, with a highly developed taste level and point of view
• An elevated design eye paired with strong organizational discipline: the ability to track overlapping deliverables and meet seasonal deadlines in a fast-paced environment, with close attention to detail and a track record of designing products that have delivered strong commercial results
• The ability to filter, prioritize, analyze, and validate complex concepts and procedures across the product creation process, with deep expertise in garment construction, sketching, and fabric, and working knowledge of adjacent areas like merchandising and product development
• Strong interpersonal skills with exceptional presentation and communication skills, and the ability to articulate creative concepts to leadership and cross-functional partners
• Proficiency in the MS Office suite and Adobe Creative Suite

#LI-CH1

#LI-Hybrid

Pay Range Details

The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.

Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

$110,500.00 - $183,000.00 Annual

We’ve got you covered…

Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:

• Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources

This position may be eligible for performance-based incentives/bonuses. Benefits include 401k, medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance options, PTO accruals, Holidays, and more. Eligibility requirements may apply based on location, job level, classification, and length of employment. Learn more in the Nordstrom Benefits Overview by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://careers.nordstrom.com/pdfs/Ben_Overview_17-19.pdf

A few more important points...

The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.

For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.

Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com (http://www.nordstrom.com/).

Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s (https://careers.nordstrom.com/#/contact-us/faq) for relevant information and guidelines.