Sr. Director, Color, Material, & Graphic Design - Global HOKA

Deckers Brands; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Bonuses

Wellbeing benefits

Employee discounts

Growth opportunities

Health benefits

Job summary

Deckers Brands is seeking a Sr. Director of Color, Material & Graphic Design - Global to lead CMG across Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories.

Based in Portland, OR with a hybrid schedule, you will shape color, material, and trend strategy and establish a Center of Excellence for scalable creative processes. You will translate consumer insights into design directions, mentor multiple teams, and partner with senior design leaders to align CMG with business goals and brand storytelling across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in industrial design, product design, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience across CMG design disciplines.
• 5+ years leading multi-disciplinary creative teams.
• Experience building or leading Trend or Design Strategy functions within a global organization.
• Expert understanding of color, material, graphic, and trend strategy.
• Proven ability to build systems, frameworks, and centers of excellence.
• Deep understanding of footwear and apparel product creation.
• Strong ability to translate consumer insight and cultural signals into product direction.
• Expertise in storytelling, design systems, and brand expression.
• Strong cross-functional leadership across product, merchandising, and marketing.
• Advanced communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the global CMG + Trend vision across performance and lifestyle footwear, apparel, and accessories.
• Build annual and seasonal strategies including color palettes, material frameworks, graphic systems, and trend narratives for cohesive HOKA expression.
• Establish and lead HOKA’s CMG + Trend Center of Excellence, developing scalable tools, processes, and frameworks.
• Translate macro trends, cultural signals, and consumer insights into actionable product direction and design systems.
• Partner with VP, Global Design and Design Leadership to shape creative vision and seasonal direction.
• Lead, manage, and develop Color, Material, Graphic Design, and Trend teams across Footwear and Apparel.
• Build clear operating models and creation engines to support new creation, refresh, and speed to market.
• Drive consistency and clarity in CMG application across franchises, categories, and product tiers.
• Recruit, develop, and mentor creative leaders and teams, fostering a culture of innovation, craft, and accountability.
• Position Trend as a foundational input into the design process, ensuring alignment from concept through execution.
• Partner with Product Design, Product Management, Merchandising, Development, Innovation, and Brand Creative to align CMG + Trend direction with business strategy.
• Champion integrated PCMG thinking, ensuring color, material, graphic, and trend work holistically with product design, construction, and brand identity.
• Influence upstream decision-making through a CMG + Trend lens, shaping briefs, concepts, and category direction early in the process.
• Communicate compelling CMG narratives at key milestones, leadership reviews, and strategic forums.
• Ensure product storytelling is cohesive and differentiated across consumer touchpoints, channels, and regions.

Skills

CMG design leadership

Trend strategy

Color & material expertise

Graphic design

Cross-functional leadership

Storytelling

Brand expression

Presentation skills

Global design experience

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in industrial design, product design, or related field

Job description

At Deckers Brands, Together, Every Step is a promise kept that every employee can bring their authentic self, is valued and supported, as a whole person, at work and beyond. Together, Every Step is how we continue to deliver exceptional business results, experience an amazing place to work, and have a positive impact on the communities and world around us.

Job Title: Sr. Director, Color, Material, & Graphic Design - Global

Reports to: VP, Design - Global

Location: Portland, OR (Hybrid) Typically, 3 times per week in office, Tuesday – Thursday

The Role

As Sr. Director, Color + Material + Graphic Design (CMG) – HOKA, you will lead the integrated CMG vision across Footwear, Apparel, and Accessories, defining and driving the global expression of HOKA through color, material, graphic, and trend strategy. You’ll establish and lead a CMG + Trend Center of Excellence, building creative frameworks that connect consumer insight, cultural relevance, and product expression across all categories. Sitting at the intersection of design, product, brand, and merchandising, you’ll elevate CMG and Trend as strategic drivers of storytelling, speed to market, product differentiation, and commercial impact. We celebrate diversity--of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together.

Your Impact

• Define and execute the global CMG + Trend vision across performance and lifestyle footwear, apparel, and accessories
• Build annual and seasonal strategies including color palettes, material frameworks, graphic systems, and trend narratives for cohesive HOKA expression
• Establish and lead HOKA’s CMG + Trend Center of Excellence, developing scalable tools, processes, and frameworks
• Translate macro trends, cultural signals, and consumer insights into actionable product direction and design systems
• Partner with VP, Global Design and Design Leadership to shape creative vision and seasonal direction
• Lead, manage, and develop Color, Material, Graphic Design, and Trend teams across Footwear and Apparel
• Build clear operating models and creation engines to support new creation, refresh, and speed to market
• Drive consistency and clarity in CMG application across franchises, categories, and product tiers
• Recruit, develop, and mentor creative leaders and teams, fostering a culture of innovation, craft, and accountability
• Position Trend as a foundational input into the design process, ensuring alignment from concept through execution
• Partner with Product Design, Product Management, Merchandising, Development, Innovation, and Brand Creative to align CMG + Trend direction with business strategy
• Champion integrated PCMG thinking, ensuring color, material, graphic, and trend work holistically with product design, construction, and brand identity
• Influence upstream decision-making through a CMG + Trend lens, shaping briefs, concepts, and category direction early in the process
• Communicate compelling CMG narratives at key milestones, leadership reviews, and strategic forums
• Ensure product storytelling is cohesive and differentiated across consumer touchpoints, channels, and regions

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in industrial design, product design, or related field
• 12+ years of experience across CMG design disciplines
• 5+ years leading multi-disciplinary creative teams
• Experience building or leading Trend or Design Strategy functions within a global organization
• Expert understanding of color, material, graphic, and trend strategy
• Proven ability to build systems, frameworks, and centers of excellence
• Deep understanding of footwear and apparel product creation
• Strong ability to translate consumer insight and cultural signals into product direction
• Expertise in storytelling, design systems, and brand expression
• Strong cross-functional leadership across product, merchandising, and marketing
• Advanced communication and presentation skills

What We’ll Give You

• Competitive Pay and Bonuses - We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued.
• Financial Planning and wellbeing - No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.
• Time away from work - Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
• Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras
• Growth and Development - Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
• Health and Wellness - There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.

Equal Employment Opportunity – Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all the other beautiful parts of your identity.

More than Just a Footwear Company

From our corporate offices to our global retail stores, there’s a curious, independent spirit that’s distinctively Deckers Brands. We’re about giving people the freedom to pursue their passions. And we’re committed to helping them succeed; to become their best selves. That’s why we’re about more than work, the 9 to 5 or daily grind. We’re about opportunity - opportunity to create, to grow and to have an impact. As we work to become better at everything we do, how we better the world matters, too. Our products and brands are loved, no doubt about it. But the difference we make in people’s lives begins with our people, right here at Deckers Brands. We’re adventurous, spirited, unafraid of new challenges and willing to take chances. We are always ready to rally around a cause. Put simply, we want all of our people to thrive - to reach their full potential and have fun while doing it. Because in the end, Deckers thrives when our people thrive.

The salary range posted reflects the estimated minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for this role in: Portland, Oregon Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process.