Senior Footwear Color Designer

*This is a hybrid role based out of our HQ in Portland, OR. In-office expectation is 3-4 days a week*

ABOUT THE POSITION 

As our Senior Color Designer, you will be an influential member of the Footwear Color Design team who forecast, create and deliver the seasonal color palette. A passion for color combined with strong trend and design concept forecasting, exemplary presentation skills, calendar awareness to ensure deadlines are met and a collaborative mindset will allow you hands-on involvement in creating the color vision which reflects Columbia Sportswear’s design ethos of connecting the consumer to their outdoor passions.  In this role, you will be responsible for creating a seasonal color point of view and displaying strong creative vision through inspiring concept ideation, development, and color application.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Actively research global color and market trends for the outdoor marketplace.

• Influence an inspired vision for season trend and color direction through clear communication and understanding of shared corporate goals.

• Own the creation of new color palette and collection concepts through a strong understanding of our consumers’ needs.

• Collaborate with Color team to design innovative and inspiring presentations of color trends, seasonal and historical palettes, and collection colorways for review by the product creation team.

• Support the development and utilization of smart tools and info graphics to communicate design color direction.

• Ideate new processes, exemplify discipline and manage time expertly for color projects to ensure effective and efficient transfer of information at key gates and dates.  Strong awareness of design calendar is a must.

• Engage and partner with Design Leadership on seasonal strategies and execution as needed.

• Inspire and mentor other Designers.

YOU ARE:

• Passionate about footwear and color design and always keeping up to date on consumer trends.

• An outdoor enthusiast.

• A team player, able to successfully communicate and interact with your team members as well as external partners.

YOU HAVE:

• Bachelor’s degree, applicable certification or equivalent experience. Specializing in footwear design, graphic arts, or related field or Associate’s degree with 7 or more years related work experience acceptable in lieu of bachelor’s degree.

• Five to eight years’ experience in design and/or apparel industry.

• Exposure to the outdoor industry preferred.

• Advanced knowledge of computer software including Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Office Suite, as well as the talent and ability to perform free hand drawings.

• Must have excellent eyesight, including exceptional sense of color.

• Ability to travels for consumer/product research as approved by senior management.

• DESIGN PORTFOLIO LINK OR ATTACHMENT REQUIRED ON RESUME OR APPLICATION.

#LI-JC1

#Hybrid

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company. 

Columbia Sportswear Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter.

At Columbia Sportswear Company, we’re proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family’s financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.

If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to [email protected] with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.