At R.A.D®, we create shoes from our studio in Portland, Oregon - the home of performance footwear.
Every R.A.D® product is designed with three criteria in mind - Performance, Aesthetics, and The Future drawing inspiration from different sources across sports, music, fashion, and popular culture to build an all-encompassing brand that blurs the line between performance and aesthetics, function and lifestyle.
As the R.A.D CMF Designer, you are laser-focused on the role that Color & Materials play in elevating the consumer experience and connection to the brand. The ideal candidate is a motivated, creative problem solver who strives for the highest level of finish in their design and material solutions. In this role, you will explore the intersection of story, concept, and color, crafting seasonal on new and existing footwear models.
This is a unique opportunity to join an international start-up and contribute directly to a business that is transforming performance footwear.
Qualifications
A Color and Materials superstar with 3+ years of Color & Materials Design, of athletic or lifestyle footwear.
Bachelor's degree in art, design, fashion, or any other relevant field of experience and training.
Fully competent in Design based software (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite) and experience creating instructional digital diagrams of Color & Material specifications.
High appreciation for the art of product design and the development process.
Strives for cultural awareness and uses this knowledge to build concepts of relevance.
Experience building inspiration/concept presentations and mood boards for seasonal concepts and direction.
Strong presentation and communication skills.
Deep understanding of Footwear making and manufacturing.
Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse group of backgrounds and disciplines. Work in collaboration, contributing to inclusive design studio culture, with the product creation teams for shared brand strategies.
Highly organized and self-sufficient. Self-starter with drive and determination. A creative collaborator who can be agile and able to evolve, working in multiple seasonal projects.
Responsibilities
In this role, you will be a vital member of the R.A.D® Design Team and the creator of innovative color & material solutions across multiple categories of footwear.
You will partner with the Director of Color, Material and Trend - to bring the vision and stories to life that finetune the future of R.A.D®.
You will develop a system for curating and organizing color and material pallets that support a robust seasonal creation cycle and provide the vision for further improvements.
You will collaborate cross-functionally with Design, Development, and Material Consultants to build compelling color and material application strategies that are brand and consumer relevant.
You will build presentations that effectively communicate Color & Materials direction and present your concepts to the team.
You will create, edit and own the detailed documentation that ensures accurate color and material sample creation with R.A.D factory partners.
You will partner with the R.A.D Product Director to review, analyze, and revise Color & Material strategies and documentation across the development cycle to ensure the highest level of design integrity and finish.
You will thrive off the opportunity to manage these duties against competing resources and timelines.
Draw from emerging design trends, market research, and consumer insights to create unique footwear design solutions and concepts.
Research, design, and present awe-inspiring seasonal and long-term color & material selections that are aligned with design direction and seasonal narratives.
** be sure to include your portfolio or portfolio link in your application.