Senior Designer - Offline Active

AEO; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Associate Discount

Summer Fridays

Casual Dress Code

Hybrid Schedule

In-Person Connection

In-Office Events

Job summary

AEO is hiring a Senior Designer for Offline Active to design and execute the Active assortment in line with the seasonal concept and brand philosophy. The role requires strong CAD/sketching skills and leadership to guide junior designers.

You will research trends, coordinate fabric sourcing, and drive seasonal presentations, ensuring alignment with leadership and deadlines across styles and fittings. In-person collaboration is essential per business needs, including NYC/Pittsburgh HQs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion or Art (or equivalent).
• Experience in Active Apparel is required.
• 8+ years related experience in fashion design.
• Strong color, trend, detail and construction sensibility.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize based on business needs.
• Proficient in Illustrator and Excel; strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify domestic and international market trends relevant to Offline.
• Define seasonal ideas, prints, graphics and color direction with leadership.
• Coordinate with material team on fabric sourcing and approvals weekly.
• Lead seasonal presentations and milestones; address executive questions.
• Use sketching and CAD to communicate proportion, details, and construction.
• Keep decks updated with details, wash and color information.
• Oversee tech pack creation, PLM data, proofreading, and escalation.
• Schedule hand-offs with production per calendar deadlines.
• Collaborate with production to achieve high quality within cost targets.
• Communicate specs and design intent to technical design; support fittings.
• Oversee trim, color, print, and tag/label approvals with the team.
• Partner with Merchants on seasonal alignment and changes.
• Supervise and mentor Assistant/Associate Designers.
• Manage daily operations and vendor communications; balance seasons.
• Support seasonal calendar and category deadlines with leadership.
• In-person collaboration is required; frequency dictated by business needs.

Skills

Excellent communication

Analytic skills

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Fashion or Art

Tools

Illustrator

Excel

Job description

POSITION TITLE: Senior Designer, Offline Active

REPORTS TO: Senior Design Director, Offline

SUPERVISES:Associate Designers

OFFLINE is activewear for everywhere life takes you. Leggings, sports bras and accessories built for real movement, designed for real comfort and created for real good. These are pieces that help you sweat it and forget it because activewear should feel amazing every way that you chill, play or move.

Get to Know the Role:

This role is responsible for seasonally designing and executing the Active assortment that coordinates to the seasonal concept and overall aesthetic and philosophy of the Offline brand

What You'll Do:

• Continuously identify and assess domestic and international market trends, ensuring their relevance to the Offline brand identity.
• Collaborate with the Senior Design Director to define seasonal key ideas, prints, graphics and color direction, ensuring alignment with leadership's overarching seasonal concepts.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of raw materials, partnering with the material team for seasonal fabric sourcing, managing requests and approvals in weekly meetings, and supporting the Design Director with fabrication needs.
• Partner with Design leadership on seasonal presentations and key milestones, confidently addressing questions from executive leadership.
• Utilize excellent sketching and CAD skills to communicate proper proportion, details, and construction for presentation decks and tech packs.
• Ensure seasonal decks contain up-to-date information on details, wash, and color.
• Oversee tech pack creation, ensuring the design team accurately assembles information in PLM, proofing work, and providing an extra set of eyes across all styles, escalating questions to the Design Director as needed.
• Partner with the production team to schedule hand-offs according to calendar deadlines
• Collaborate with the production team to achieve the highest quality product within the required cost structure.
• Oversee communication of spec and design intent to the technical design team. Attend and support all style fittings, guiding teams through fit comments, and supporting and proofing follow-up. Oversee trim, color, print, Gold tag, and shade band approvals with the design team.
• Partner with merchants to ensure design alignment on seasonal needs and changes throughout the season.
• Supervise and develop Assistant and Associate Designers, providing essential training and mentorship for their career advancement.
• Oversee the design team's daily operations and workload, prioritizing tasks across multiple, often overlapping seasons, and supporting daily vendor communications via email and mail.
• Partner with the Senior Design Director on seasonal calendar and category-specific deadlines to ensure their achievability.
• In person/in-office collaboration is required, the frequency of such in-person/in-office collaboration (e.g., portion of week, entire week) is dictated by business needs. Such collaboration includes work centralized around product development, milestone meetings, fittings, and approvals.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's Degree in Fashion or Art (or equivalent experience and education).
• Experience working in Active Apparel
• 8+ years related experience
• Keen eye for color, trend, detail and construction
• Able to multi task and prioritize based on business objectives
• Working knowledge of Illustrator and Excel
• Ability to act as liaison between many departments; excellent communication and analytic skills.
• Must be detail oriented, computer literate and able to handle multiple tasks at once.

Why You'll Love it Here

• Generous Associate Discount: Treat yourself to the best our brands offer!
• Summer Fridays (For Pittsburgh, NYC and Remote Corporate Associates):More time for the sun and the weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Casual Dress Code:Come as you are (and stay comfy).
• Hybrid Schedule:Enjoy a blend of home-office focus and in-office collaboration.
• In-Person Connection: While we love our digital tools, we love our people even more! To keep our culture thriving, in-person presence is required at one of our Pittsburgh or NYC headquarters, distribution centers or field locations for interviews, orientation and periodic quarterly meetups.
• In-Office Events: Exciting company-wide events you won't want to miss!

Pay/Benefits Information:

• Actual starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to relevant experience and location.
• Subject to eligibility requirements, associates may receive health care benefits (including medical, vision, and dental); wellness benefits; 401(k) retirement benefits; life and disability insurance; employee stock purchase program; paid time off; paid sick leave; and parental leave and benefits.
• Paid Time Off, paid sick leave, and holiday pay vary by job level and type, job location, employment classification (part-time or full-time / exempt or non-exempt), and years of service. For additional information, please click here.
• AEO may also provide discretionary bonuses and other incentives at its discretion.