As Senior Footwear Designer for the Lifestyle team, you’ll sketch and render visionary concepts for uppers, midsoles and outsoles, utilizing the appropriate manufacturing technologies. You’ll also be responsible for color and material selection. A deep connection to the consumer and culture is essential for this position.  You will partner with Product Development on creation and manufacturing of footwear products. You will produce a high level of output typically consisting of 3 – 6 new footwear concept and 10 – 15 color collections per season. You will interact regularly with various category Design, Development, Merchandising and Marketing in order to gather ideas and create innovative products. Apply today to be a part of the fun and creative team who designs our original footwear product.   

Join the Vans Family

Vans® is the original action sports footwear company, rooted in authenticity and creativity. Founded in 1966, we have thrived on a legacy of impacting our greater community through four pillars: action sports, music, art and street culture. We are constantly inspired by the creative voyagers within our company and community.  For them, creativity is about the journey, not just the output.  Our mission is to empower everyone to use creativity to discover themselves. Our vision is to create a world where anyone can be their unique self.

At Vans, our culture sets us apart and influences everything we do. We are driven by our five values: We have HEART – also referred to as the “Van Doren Spirit”.  We are relentlessly CURIOUS about our consumers and the world around us. We are UNAPOLOGETICALLY AUTHENTIC and whole heartedly believe the most “Off the Wall” thing you can do is be yourself.  We are driven by a spirit of INGENUITY.  And we are passionate about local COMMUNITIES.  And most of all, we are a family that has fun together.

At Vans we empower creative exploration and inspire youth culture through a commitment to inclusivity. We welcome anyone and everyone into our global family and proudly celebrate and environment where individuality is embraced, equal opportunities thrive, and everyone is empowered to reach their greatest potential. 

By joining our family, you will be immersed in an environment of incredibly supportive and collaborative people. We work hard across a multitude of initiatives to bring the Van Doren Spirit to life. We live for what we do.

How You Will Make a Difference

What you will do & how you will do it:

Utilizes merchandise briefs to create footwear concepts and collections.Conceptualize, sketch and render original footwear concepts.Executes in a timely manner upper and tooling designs, techpacks and seasonal color CADS.Partners with Footwear Development team to bring ideas to mass production.Research consumer attitudes to identify emerging and current trends. Presents  to the team via  trend boards, prototypes, and samples.Expert narrative development, written, and communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver project presentations to Senior leadership

What success looks like:

Develop strong cross functional partnershipsResilient, agile, and optimistic. Can embrace ambiguity and the fluid nature of early stages of product design and keep teammates and projects movingInfluential and able to collaborate across a matrix organization, successfully navigating the connectivity between in-line business and cross category partnersYour diverse experiences and background enable you to provide a unique perspective to fuel our global growth. Additionally, you are inclusive and value differing points of view.

Free To Be, Inclusion & Diversity

As a mission-led, performance driven company, we strive to foster a culture of belonging based on respect, connection, openness and authenticity. We are committed to building and maintaining a workplace that celebrates the diversity of our associates, allowing them to bring their authentic selves to work every day.

Skills for Success

Years of Related Professional Experience: 5+ years

Educational Position Requirements:

A formal education and subsequent undergraduate/graduate degrees are nice to have, but we are most interested in your total experience and professional achievements.

What we expect you already know: 

Expert knowledge and ability of product design, including ideation, development, specification, footwear and sneaker manufacturing process and final execution of designs that balance innovation, performance, and style for Lifestyle consumersUnderstanding of the street culture consumer, market and trends, and the ability to spot trends in advanceExcellent problem solving skills, interpersonal,  and communication skillsMust be a strong teammate and successful collaborator, who embraces differences and values diverse perspectivesProficient with computer design software (i.e. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop) and business computer software (i.e. Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint; Apple Keynote)Additional 3D design software knowledge a plusProfessional presentation skillsAbility to read, analyze and interpret product design briefs

VF Values: Integrity, Consumer-Focused, Growth Mindset, Simplicity, Win Together

What’s in it For You

We’re in the business of unleashing human potential, driven by the ideas, energy and commitment of our people. That’s why we offer comprehensive benefits that encourage mental, physical and financial well-being for all VF associates. When it comes to benefits, we’re the total package. Go to MyVFBenefits.com and click on “Looking to Join VF?” to learn more.

Our Parent Company, VF Corporation

VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish through our family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands. At the heart of our journey lies our company-wide purpose: We power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. This is our purpose. It’s the reason we come to work every day. It’s a commitment shared by our global associates across all brands. Our purpose unites us and leads us to pursue our goals, together. This is our calling. Learn more at vfc.com

We just have one question. Are you in?

Hiring Range:

$96,768.00 USD - $120,960.00 USD annually

Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com  and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.  If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at peopleservices@vfc.com. VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.