Senior Surface Design Lead: Prints & Patterns

Mary Square, LLC; Apex (NC); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Mary Square is seeking an experienced and highly creative Senior Surface Design Manager to lead original prints, patterns, artwork, and surface design across apparel and gift collections. Print and pattern are central to the Mary Square brand, and this role will establish a distinctive visual point of view.

The ideal candidate will mentor junior designers, drive seasonal print development, collaborate with cross‑functional teams, and ensure production‑ready artwork, color, and tonal balance

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Textile Design, Surface Design, Fashion Design, Illustration, Fine Arts, or a related field.
• 7–10+ years of experience in textile, print, pattern, or surface design, preferably within women’s apparel, or a print-driven lifestyle brand.
• Experience mentoring, managing, or providing creative direction to other designers.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating original artwork, seamless repeats, color development, and artwork applied to finished products.
• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Understanding in Procreate preferred.
• Strong understanding of print repeats, color separation, textile-printing methods, artwork preparation, and production requirements.
• Ability to work across both hand-created and digital artwork.
• Exceptional eye for color, composition, scale, balance, and detail.
• Ability to balance creative vision with customer needs, commercial goals, cost considerations, and production capabilities.
• Strong communication, presentation, organization, and project-management skills.
• Experience working with overseas vendors is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead seasonal print, pattern, color, and surface-design development across Apparel and Gift.
• Create original artwork through hand painting, drawing, digital illustration, and other relevant techniques.
• Develop seamless repeats, border prints, engineered layouts, placement artwork, embroidery concepts, and alternate colorways.
• Research emerging trends in print, color, art, interiors, fashion, and culture while filtering them through the Mary Square customer and brand identity.
• Build seasonal print inspiration, color direction, artwork concepts, and print-development presentations for all Mary Square brands.
• Ownership of ensuring approvals are met for on time development throughout the season.
• Translate seasonal concepts and trends into cohesive, customer-focused print stories.
• Build a balanced assortment of statement prints, florals, geometrics, conversational prints, stripes, plaids, and supporting patterns.
• Prepare accurate, production-ready artwork with clear repeat, scale, placement, technique, and color information.
• Review strike-offs, lab dips, embroideries, and production submissions for color, quality, scale, and overall aesthetic. Ensure timelines are met to keep on time deliveries.
• Manage, mentor and provide creative direction to junior and mid-level designers.
• Manage freelance and contract print projects where needed.
• Lead print reviews and establish clear standards for artwork quality, file organization, and production handoff.
• Partner with Apparel Design, Gift Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and leadership to align print development with seasonal priorities.
• Collaborate with designers to ensure prints are paired with the right products, silhouettes, fabrics, and techniques.
• Work with domestic and overseas vendors to communicate artwork requirements and resolve development challenges.
• Maintain an organized artwork archive and help establish an efficient seasonal print-development process.
• Ensure artwork is original, appropriately licensed, or cleared for commercial use.

Skills

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Procreate

Mentoring

Creative direction

Color development

Print repeats

Vendor management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Textile Design

Job description

Mary Square is seeking an experienced and highly creative Senior Surface Design Manager to lead original prints, patterns, artwork, and surface design across apparel and gift collections. Print and pattern are central to the Mary Square brand, and this role will establish a distinctive visual point of view.

The ideal candidate will mentor junior designers, drive seasonal print development, collaborate with cross‑functional teams, and ensure production‑ready artwork, color, and tonal balance