About Us

Cole Haan is a pioneer in inventing and reinventing modern dress footwear, bags and accessories through our ZeroGrand and GrandSeries product lines. Customers who seek style, versatility and comfortable function in their products come to Cole Haan.

Cole Haan is rapidly growing in the United States and abroad. The brand is sold in more than 45 countries through 90 branded retail stores within the United States, 200+ branded store and shop-in-shop locations internationally, on our global digital flagship, colehaan.com, and within leading department store and specialty retail partners throughout the World.

Our headquarters is in Greenland, New Hampshire. We have offices in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Amsterdam and sourcing offices in Asia.

We seek hard-working employees who are entrepreneurial-minded, solutions-oriented team players who accept and own accountability, model integrity, value individuality and diversity, encourage teamwork and inspire creativity.

This position will work under the direction of the Women’s Design Director to assist in the ideation, creation and development of inspirations, stories, vision, and innovative product solutions that help drive the Cole Haan Women’s Dress Footwear business. This role will support and partner in the creation of industry leading seasonal product which will be informed by their expert knowledge of women’s dress and dress/casual footwear and popular culture including, style, sport and fashion trends, art and music.

***Please submit application with link to online portfolio or work samples***

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Works with the Women’s Design team on seasonal research, concept building, sketching, and producing CAD’s and presentation materials that effectively communicate product concepts and creative strategy internally
Takes direction and collaborates to create proprietary product designs or refreshes existing product that reflects Cole Haan's design philosophy, quality guidelines and inspires targeted consumers
Pushes creative boundaries whilst delivering against commercial opportunities
Responsible for delivering allocated designs as needed based on seasonal workload, from concept through to CAD work, color overviews, creation of technical specifications and updates, to upload into PLM (or similar), on time against seasonal GTM deadlines
Coordinates with the Corporate Merchandising, Product Development and Technical Departments to receive and organize all prototypes for creative presentations
Delivers designs in a clear and concise format and present at design reviews, with detailed renderings and technical specifications in both hand sketch and Adobe Illustrator format
Assists with technical specs within groups and the timely completion of corrections as requested
Actively participates in proto reviews ensuring design integrity is maintained through to final sign-off
Collaborates with cross-functional partners in corporate merchandising and product development to ensure product is executed
Occasionally researches on site and off, and subsequent organization and execution of concept boards that reflect seasonal point of view
Special projects as assigned

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in design related program preferred
4+ years of related design experience
Possesses a strong foundational knowledge and understanding of construction, color, and material as it relates to Women’s fashion and dress footwear
Must have a high degree of proficiency with Digital Design Platforms (expert 2D abilities in Adobe Illustrator) and hand sketching ability
Must have traditional hands on footwear development skills (material specs and tech packs)
Working knowledge of Macintosh systems, Microsoft Office, Outlook, and PLM
Strong knowledge of fashion and market trends with an understanding of Cole Haan product image and quality
Ability to work under deadlines, manage multiple priorities, work independently, take initiative, and pay close attention to detail
Enthusiastic about design, inspiring, creative, forward-thinking and energetic
Self-motivated and equally comfortable working within a team
Organized, structured, asks questions and seeks understanding first
Pushes oneself to exceed expectations
Adaptable versatile, and able to work under pressure to tight deadlines and able to multi-task
Fluent in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills
Must be flexible to both domestic and international travel

Base Salary/Hourly Range: From $100,000 to $130,000 annually*

Bonus Eligibility: Yes, eligible for annual target bonus based on company and individual performance

Benefits Offered: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Care, Health Savings Accounts, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Vacation Time, Sick Time, Paid Parental Leave, Holidays and Cole Haan Discounts

*Rate of pay dependent upon candidates’ relevant skills and experience

This position is not available to be performed in Colorado.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Cole Haan is committed to meeting the spirit as well as the letter of the law. We have been, and continue to be, committed to Equal Opportunity Employment and equal treatment of all qualified individuals -- regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, or any other factors that are not job related.

Designer, Women's Dress Footwear