Apparel Designer and Special Project Lead
Apparel Designer and Special Project Lead at PAKA, a natural-fiber (alpaca) adventure apparel brand in Boulder, CO. Day to day: designing across knitwear, wovens, outerwear, bottoms, and technical categories, owning products from concept through production, creating tech packs and presentations with Adobe Illustrator while partnering with merchandising and product development.
- Compensation
- $80K–$100K / yr
- Location
- Boulder, CO
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Lead
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Category
- Design
- Posted
Must have
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in apparel design
- 3+ years of experience in Design and/or Development
- Portfolio demonstrating original product thinking, strong concept development, and multi-category apparel design
- Demonstrated ability to design across knitwear, wovens, outerwear, bottoms, and performance apparel
- Strong Adobe Illustrator and other design software proficiency
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Strong relationship builder with cross-functional partners (Merchandising, Technical Design, Product Development, Materials)
- Ability to speak to styles with confidence and take feedback collaboratively
- Presentation skills for design and milestone meetings
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with agility and resilience
- Travel as required for research and/or development
Nice to have
- PLM experience
- Conversational Spanish
Full description
Design across its full product range (knitwear, wovens, outerwear, bottoms, technical apparel) and own each product from concept through production.
Title: Apparel Designer and Special Project LeadReports to: VP of Product
Location: Boulder, CO
PAKA Overview
Founded in Peru, our mission is to create natural, all-purpose clothing for discovering the world. We’re doing this by innovating with alpaca fiber and other materials that are healthier for people and the planet, so that consumers can connect to our natural world, make more conscious choices, and support the communities where their products come from.
Position Summary
We are looking for a passionate and innovative Designer to join our product team. As PAKA’s Apparel Designer, you will have the unique opportunity to establish PAKA’s evolution as a leading brand in its own category. This role requires a creative powerhouse with a keen eye for detail, heightened taste level and the ability to manage a project from conception to consumer.
You will be responsible for infusing fresh ideas into our product line, ensuring they align with PAKA’s refined aesthetic and ethos. You will work closely with various teams, including Merchandising and Product Development to create high-quality, timeless, and well-crafted products that inspire our customers.
Your job is to design timeless apparel and special projects that establish PAKA as the world's leading natural fiber adventure apparel brand. Every product should enable our customer to travel lighter and move seamlessly from adventures to everyday life.
Note: this role requires a strong development background and not only the ability to be creative. You will need to be able to see a product all the way from concept to production and everything in between.
Role Responsibilities
Vision Translation & Product Design
- Partner with the Founder, VP Product, and external Lead Designer to translate creative vision into commercially successful products.
- Take strategic direction/concepts/product briefs and translate them into original design ideas, sketches, silhouettes, constructions, and product expressions that bring PAKA’s vision to life
- Generate multiple distinct concepts and design directions in response to a product brief, demonstrating creativity, range, and original thinking.
- Contribute original thinking, materials, details, and innovations that strengthen and elevate the product vision
- Champion a high standard of taste, ensuring every product reflects PAKA's evolving design language, premium positioning, and commitment to creating products customers are proud to own.
- Report on current trends and style moments for the team and overall company.