Job description
Our global footwear and apparel client is hiring a Design Ops Manager on a 6 month contract that is likely to extend and could lead to fulltime opportunities. This position is eligible for benefits and sick time.
Responsibilities:
-Lead and facilitate all design processes, ensuring they add value and meet established goals. Initiate changes in process or organizational structure as necessary to ensure excellence in design outcome, design process, and design leadership.
-Focus on workload management, calendar, design tools (images, samples, color, etc.), budgeting, resource alignment, and strategic planning.
-Champions group design efforts, maintaining relationships with internal divisions/groups and outside groups where collaborative relationships benefits the brand, product, and creative process (e.g. Commercialization, Merchandising, Footwear).
-Creates and manages a design resource plan to ensure all design needs are covered with either the appropriate internal or external talent.
-Collaborate with Design Leadership Team to establish and communicate design processes and monitor seasonal progress.
-Oversees seasonal workload by assigning projects to design staff and outside contractors as needed.
-Provides experiences and training that maintains highest level of competency among designers.
-Influences project direction by acting as integral part of design team.
-Mentors others by sharing business and design expertise.
-Represent assigned area of responsibility in a management and professional capacity within the design function and to cross-functional teams.
-Collaborate with other managers within Design and across the matrix to increase efficiencies and ensure design excellence.
-In conjunction with design leadership, oversee the organizational evolution of the design team.
-Ensure a creative work environment with no impediments to performance excellence.
-Identify educational opportunities, and facilitate training and experiences where needed to maintain the appropriate level of competency and growth among the design teams.
-Identify and articulate strategic design department needs to the systems groups.
-Act as the liaison between the design department and IT on systems-related issues. Maintain current knowledge of relevant computer systems and applications.
-Make systems recommendations to enhance processes and design execution.
-Collaborate with design leadership to manage design budget, including, but not limited to travel and entertainment, sample expenses, hiring, and year-end salary allocation.
