Manager, Technical Design Women's

Location: Dearborn, MI

Department: Global Product- Technical Design 

Reports to: Director, Technical Design

Job Classification: Hybrid

FLSA: Exempt 

Job Band: Manager 

Job Summary

Leading a Women’s Technical Design team, the Manager, Technical Design is responsible for the execution and delivery of new product in partnership with Women’s senior leadership, Design, Merchandizing, Sourcing, and Product Development teams. Taking into consideration design details, company standards, technical issues, vendor capabilities and existing product, the TD Manager ensures that product design is interpreted, manufactured to Carhartt standards and within cost targets.  This role stays abreast of emerging and existing competitive brands and how their body proposition, sizing constructs, fit & construction compares to Carhartt’s. The Manager builds and fosters strong collaborative relationships with internal/external partners, and cross functional teams. 

We Are All Leaders at Carhartt

In our words and by our actions, we strive to emulate the hardworking example set forth by our founder, Hamilton Carhartt. We Lead Business by creating value, delivering on results, and making changes along the way. We Lead Self by being inclusive, recognizing that our differences make us stronger as we strive to build a better world, together, for all hardworking people. We Lead Others by communicating and clearly defining the path as we walk bravely into the future. Working at Carhartt, we are all given a seat at the table and the honor of continuing the legacy.

Representative Responsibilities

• Coach, mentor and develop a team of Women’s Technical Designers to think, act, and move both strategically and reactionary.

• ​​Develop and manage the department budget as well as reporting on qualitative and quantitative results​ 

• Lead the overall Seasonal Design Process, collaborating with VP of Women’s Category, Men’s Design Team and Design Resources Teams. 

• Hold the team accountable for integrating consumer insights into all product design, while adhering to GTM timelines and deliverables. 

• Continuously evolve existing product categories through incremental changes while also making revolutionary product breakthroughs utilizing new technologies, addressing new consumer needs, and creating leap-frog technologies and products that inspire Carhartt’s hard-working consumer base. 

• Develop a deep understanding of our new and existing consumer and their expectations regarding workwear needs through Job Site Visits, Consumer Connections and Market Research.  

• Create and lead vision for Women’s Design Team, inclusive of functional and resource needs.​  ​ 

• Continuous communication with VP of Global Product Design regarding GTM updates, team development goals and overall team strategy. 

• Inspire continuous learning from success and failure by instilling a new mindset with Women’s Design Team — challenging the status quo. 

• Develop and foster a creative work environment for the Seasonal Product Design Team. 

• Responsible to understand and communicate with validated rationale where Women’s product needs align with Men’s and where/why Women’s product should be different
• Continue to build on technical expertise; and stay abreast of changes in fit and construction and focus on how these changes and/or trends can influence and support department and company strategies.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel & Textile Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, or Related Field; or equivalent years of related experience in lieu of degree.   

Required Skills & Experience

• Minimum 6 years of experience in product development within the Apparel industry, with a minimum of 3 years of leadership experience.
• Experience in Women’s product, ideally including denim and washed product preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership in Technical Design with a focus on innovation and quality.
• Strong garment construction and fit strategy background within the Apparel industry.
• Experience with the manufacturing process, both domestic and international facilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to be flexible, solution oriented, and adaptive to changing priorities, as well as effectively manage and resolve conflict.
• Demonstrated ability to build and foster business relationships with cross functional teams and internal & external partners.
• Effective communicator; verbal and written.  Strong and confident presentation skills.  
• Strong organization and planning skills; and the ability to prioritize workloads and manage multiple projects at the same time, working both strategically and analytically.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Typical office environment. Extended periods of time sitting, standing, and typing on a computer is required.
• Willing to work some weekends if necessary.
• Domestic and international travel required (up to 20%)

• This position has a Hybrid location: Associate will work on-site regularly as needed for work activities.

• Carhartt is a tobacco free workplace.

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