Job Title: Associate Designer – Sportswear Private Label
Position Summary
The Associate Designer supports the end-to-end design and development process for the private label sportswear collection. As part of a lean, highly collaborative two-person design team, this newly created role provides essential creative, technical, and organizational support. The Associate Designer contributes to sketching, CAD development, fabric and trim sourcing, tech pack preparation, and seasonal concept work, helping ensure the collection reflects brand strategy, meets value expectations, and delivers on trend-right, commercially successful product.
Key Responsibilities
Design & Creative Support
- Assist the Senior Designer in developing seasonal concepts, color palettes, trend direction, and assortment strategy.
- Create accurate sketches and CADs for the private label sportswear line, ensuring clarity for cross-functional partners and vendors.
- Support design development of tops, bottoms, layering pieces, and seasonal capsules aligned with the customer.
- Contribute creative ideas and trend insights during design discussions and line-building sessions.
Product Development & Technical Execution
- Build, update, and maintain tech packs with sketches, measurements, construction details, and BOM components.
- Participate in sample fittings by taking notes, tracking updates, and supporting fit follow-up with cross-functional teams.
- Ensure design intent is carried through development while adhering to cost, quality, and margin requirements for value retail.
Trend, Market & Customer Research
- Conduct ongoing research on sportswear trends, silhouettes, fabrics, and competitive retail to inform design direction.
- Provide regular updates on market movement and customer preferences specific to the shopper.
- Support seasonal presentations with mood boards, theme development, and inspiration materials.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product Development, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Sourcing to support smooth execution from design to final sample.
- Communicate with vendors to clarify design details or request development updates when needed.
- Help maintain clear documentation, organized seasonal files, and accurate line information throughout the development cycle.
Organization & Workflow
- Maintain fabric, trim, and strike-off libraries, ensuring materials are organized and accessible.
- Track samples, maintain line sheets, and prepare design materials for milestone meetings.
- Help establish workflows and tools to support an efficient process as this newly created role ramps up within a small team.
Qualifications
- 1–3 years of experience in apparel design; sportswear or value-channel experience preferred.
- Strong technical sketching and CAD skills (Illustrator required; Photoshop a plus).
- Understanding of garment construction, fabrics, and design-to-cost considerations.
- Strong trend awareness and ability to translate trends into commercial, customer-appropriate product.
- Highly organized, proactive, and able to work in a fast-paced environment with a lean team.
- Strong communication, follow-up skills, and attention to detail.
Salary $75,000-$80,000
