Footwear Designer- Corporate Headquarters, NJ
5 days ago
Secaucus
Position Summary: The Footwear Designer – Children’s Shoes will lead the design and development process for seasonal children’s footwear collections, ensuring alignment with The Children’s Place brand DNA, consumer needs, and business strategies. The ideal candidate is a trend-savvy, consumer-obsessed designer with deep knowledge of children’s footwear design, construction, fit, and safety requirements. They will balance creativity with commercial viability and partner cross-functionally to bring innovative, functional, and fun footwear to market. Key Accountabilities: • Lead the conceptualization, design, and development of seasonal children’s footwear collections across multiple categories (infant, toddler, and big kids)., • Research global fashion trends, competitive landscape, materials, and consumer insights to inform forward-thinking and brand-right designs., • Create compelling sketches, tech packs, and prototypes that communicate design vision with clarity and detail., • Ensure designs meet both aesthetic and functional needs unique to children’s footwear (comfort, durability, safety, ease of use)., • Partner with Merchandising, and Sourcing teams to ensure design intent is translated into high-quality, cost-effective products and meets our target AUC., • Review samples and prototypes, providing detailed feedback on fit, construction, materials, and trim to refine product to final approval stage., • Balance innovation with commercial viability, ensuring products are trend-right, age-appropriate, and aligned with brand pricing architecture., • Present seasonal concepts, design directions, and line reviews to leadership, merchandising, and cross-functional partners., • Collaborate with Graphic Design, Apparel Design, and Marketing teams to ensure product matches back and is cohesive across categories., • Build and maintain strong relationships with external vendors, factories, and suppliers, communicating clearly to achieve design execution excellence. Education and Experience: • Bachelor’s degree in Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, or related field., • 5+ years of professional footwear design experience, with a strong focus on children’s footwear preferred., • Proven track record of developing successful footwear collections from concept through production. Skills and Behaviors: • Strong proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Miro, and Microsoft Office., • Excellent sketching, rendering, and technical drawing abilities., • Knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, fit requirements, and child-specific safety standards, • Strong understanding of color theory, materials, and trend forecasting., • Must be able to work towards multiple deadlines with shifting priorities. Core Competencies: • Creative visionary with strong commercial sensibility., • Strong project management and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight timelines., • Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills., • Collaborative team player who thrives in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment., • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to anticipate and resolve challenges throughout the design process.