Senior Women's Designer

Company: Outerknown
Location: Carlsbad
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Position Description : Women’s Designer POSITION DESCRIPTION Title & Reporting Relationships Position Title: Senior Women’s Designer Reports to: Senior Director of Design & Merchandising Department: M&D Oversees: No Direct Reports Interactions: All Members of the OK Staff and some outside business partners Main Purpose and Major Challenges of the Role The Senior Women’s Designer at Outerknown is responsible for leading design execution across all women’s categories (e.g. tops, bottoms, outerwear, dresses, sweaters, swim, etc.), with a strong focus on trend forecasting and analysis, brand clarity and customer centricity, creation and management of tech packs, and cross-category consistency. The role will partner closely with merchandising, technical design, product development, and production teams to ensure designs are on trend, customer focused, feasible, cost-effective, and aligned with the brand’s sustainability ethos. This role requires a minimum of three days in office, which may change at any time due to business needs. ACCOUNTABILITY: Trend & Market Analysis Monitor global fashion trends, street style, trade shows, social media, and competitive brands to identify directional themes and market opportunities. Work with Creative Director and Merchandising to synthesize trend insights into concept presentations (mood boards, color palettes, silhouettes, prints/graphics) for seasonal direction. Translate macro and micro trend forecasts into actionable design direction tailored to our target customer. ACCOUNTABILITY: Cross-Category Design Leadership Design across all women’s categories (e.g. tops, bottoms, outerwear, sweaters, dresses, swim, active) to ensure coherent brand language and technical feasibility. Drive innovation in silhouette, fabric, construction, detailing, prints/graphics, and embellishments across categories. Partner with product development and print teams to ideate and execute material and surface treatments consistent with seasonal direction. ACCOUNTABILITY: Design Execution & Collaboration Sketch and CAD design concepts and present them visually for review and feedback. Produce flat drawings, spec sheets, and choose fabric and trims. Understand our sustainability ethos and goals to ensure the fabrics and trims we choose meet our standards. Participate in design reviews, internal critiques, and cross-functional meetings. Review incoming samples to ensure they are correct – this includes fit, details, color, finishing, and wash. Comment on lab dips, strike offs and other misc vendor submits. Participate in proto reviews and fittings — give feedback and direction to PD and TD. Partner with PD on the status of styles in development to ensure product execution meets design intent. Ensure designs are feasible for cost structure and construction constraints in collaboration with production and sourcing teams. Liaise with merchandising to align on assortments, pricing, margin, and sell-through potential. ACCOUNTABILITY: Tech Pack Creation & Management Develop detailed tech packs (spec sheets, construction details, BOM’s and fit block indications/ key measurements) for all women’s styles. Collaborate with technical design, merch and PD to iterate and refine tech packs through fit sessions, sample reviews, and comment cycles. Maintain an organized, up-to-date library of tech pack assets, including revisions, version control, and historical files. ACCOUNTABILITY: Quality & Cost Oversight Evaluate cost implications, construction complexity, and technical risk in early stages. Work with tech/production to anticipate and resolve potential quality, fit, or tolerance issues. · Participate in pre-production reviews, final fit approvals, and sign off on specs. ESSENTIAL SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Design, or related; or equivalent experience. 3-5 years of experience in women’s apparel design in a brand or wholesale environment covering multiple categories. Strong trend forecasting ability, a keen fashion sensibility and understanding of our brand ethos. Deep proficiency in tech pack creation (experience with tools like Adobe Illustrator, In Design, Backbone, Gerber, Techpacker, or equivalent). Excellent understanding of garment construction, sewing techniques, materials, and finishes. Experience working cross-functionally with technical design, sourcing, production, and merchandising. Strong communication, presentation, and collaborative skills. Well-organized, detail oriented, able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines. Portfolio demonstrating aesthetic maturity, technical skill, and versatility across categories. Flexibility to travel occasionally (e.g. for trade shows, vendor visits) if required.

Keywords: Outerknown, Encinitas , Senior Women's Designer, Retail - All , Carlsbad, California