Job Description

Exxel Outdoors is looking for an experienced and creative individual to lead our Industrial Design team. The Corporate Director of Product Design directs and manages the creative aspects of the Exxel Product Industrial Design Team to deliver unique and innovative product solutions.   The Design Director should be a conceptual thinker with a keen business sense.  This position is responsible to help formulate the innovative concepts that support a company’s brand, marketing, and product goals.  This position should work very closely with the owners of the brands to ensure that the product designs meet the needs of the business and must keep the design team inspired and ensure that their creative output adheres to brand standards and delivers business results.

Does this sound like the perfect job for you? Keep reading to find out more!

Design Director Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops creative design solutions for products that meet the business objectives of the organization and that advance our brand strategy.
• Works with the Brand and Marketing leaders to create design objectives to meet financial goals. 
• Responsible for the training and mentoring the design team in all traditional duties related to the product design process, such as research, brainstorming, ideation, sketching, critiques, mock-ups, and creating clear and accurate CADs/Spec-Packs. 
• Inspires, guides, and leads multidisciplinary product development teams and clients involved in different types of projects – from technical to strategic.
• Collaborates with Brand VP’s and Directors to delegate tasks, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Leads creative sessions for project kick-offs.
• Assigns projects to the designers with team collaboration in mind to ensure innovative solutions. 
• Provides creative leadership for the design team to accomplish design objectives.
• Leads the design team in brainstorming/ideation sessions to allow for long-term vision of innovation in all product categories.
• Ensures timely design solutions and quality execution of projects.
• Provides motivation/inspiration to the design team to deliver innovative solutions that keep projects on-brand.
• Stays informed of current cutting-edge product design, consumer culture, color and trends, and print/social media to devise a creative strategy that ensures innovative solutions in all areas.  
• Presents and effectively communicates how a creative product vision will help achieve business goals.
• Responsible for the product vision that elevates the look, the feel, and the tone of the brands.
• Organizes and Schedules cross-functional design reviews with other Exxel team members to create a forum in which to critique and improve the overall quality and innovation from the Exxel brands.

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design 
• 10+ years design experience,  with a background in Industrial Design.  
• Experience with sketching, model making, sewing/patterning, spec development, print design, color and trend forecasting
• Highly proficient with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Microsoft Suite, 
• Understanding of manufacturing processes
• Experience with 2D sketching and 3D model making.
• Demonstrated ability to understand market trends and identify gaps and opportunities within those markets
• Strong ability to tackle new challenges and problem-solve in creative ways by thinking outside of the box
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work autonomously and in a team environment
• Strong leadership skills with experience leading creative teams
• Understand market, product, consumer, and distribution segmentation.

A collaborative, open space work environment located on the second floor of the 40,000 sq. foot facility located in Broomfield, Colorado. Team members share a common desk area, as well as a Design Center, inclusive of sewing machines, pattern tables, color swatches, fabrics is located on the first floor of the building, in addition to a Design Meeting room for sketches and designs to be created, discussed, pinned up and placed for review. The design area is faces west and looks out on open space and the Flatirons. There are approximately 125 employees in the 40,000 sq. ft Broomfield corporate facility which houses a workout facility, multiple quiet telephone booths and a large employee breakroom for the employee’s use.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

This job description is an overview of the scope of responsibilities for this job and is not intended to be an inclusive list of job tasks and expectations. With the evolution of Exxel Outdoors, LLC, the responsibilities of this position may change. The job must be prepared to accept new responsibilities and transfer others. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Exxel Outdoors offers great benefits, product allowance, generous employee discounts, and you can bring your dog to work with you! 

Apply today for your dream job! We are excited to hear from you!