Director, Footwear Design Development

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The Director of Footwear Design Development is responsible for leading the end-to-end design process and timeline for footwear division, with specific focus on early development phase for materials, components and line-building functions.  You will be the main liaison within Design team to partner closely with Merchandising, Raw Material, PD and Costing teams to ensure the seasonal market-ready sample executions aligned with brand strategy, cost targets, adoptions targets, and due dates. You’ll play an integral role in delivering high-quality, trend-right products that elevate the Michael Kors customer experience.

• →Optimize design process through strategic planning and organization during product creation stage that ensures market-ready samples.
• →Drive Design’s proto strategy for all tiers of FTW business from concept through sample handoff with PD team ensuring timelines, quality standards, and cost targets are met.
• →Liaise between PD, Materials and Designers to implement cost effective engineering and material optimization to help align with internal margin requirements, while adhering to brand DNA and quality standards set by Production team.
• →Support Design to translate creative vision into executable, commercially viable product, with special emphasis on material and component innovation.
• →Partner with materials and overseas development partners to identify and develop components, trims, and potential manufacturing solutions that support design intent and financial goals.
• →Ensure that Design team adheres to the seasonal development calendar. Streamlining and overseeing all cross functional meetings to represent Design to ensure consistency between categories.
• →Create, implement and maintain design processes that will streamline seasonal development, while aligning with business growth opportunities and budgets. Drive continuous process improvement.
• →Ensure cross-functional alignment through regular communication with all internal stakeholders, in NY and overseas.
• →Translating internal design direction while keeping up to date with industry trends and changing consumer buying trends. Analyze product performance, sales feedback, and market trends to inform future development decisions.
• →Partner with RM/PD teams to resolve material/component costing issues with vendors.  Provide alternatives to Design early in the proto process, so that Market samples can meet margin targets without compromising quality or brand integrity
• →Visit trend shows, identify innovative material opportunities to enhance product assortment
• →Manage and organize a seasonal material development strategy in partnership with Materials team, while creating and organizing an efficient material and color library as well as archiving system.
• →Research innovation of materials and components based on seasonal trends and business needs based on company’s supplier qualification and on-boarding framework
• →Create and maintain design library for standards, established logic, templates, carryover constructions and lasts
• →Manage and distribute clear Design status and hand-off documents for cross functional teams and factories

• 8+ years of progressive product development and/or material sourcing experience in the footwear industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of footwear construction, materials, costing, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience working with international vendors and factories.
• Extensive experience in materials sourcing and product execution.
• Excellent organizational, communication skills, and leadership.
• Proven ability to manage design and product calendars simultaneously.
• Deep understanding of the luxury or contemporary fashion market, preferably with experience in a comparable footwear brand.

• The ability to think strategically, drive results and build a high-performance organization.
• Proven ability to be strategic and tactical in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
• Entrepreneurial, resourceful, out-of-the-box thinker.
• No task too big or too small type of mentality.