Design Director

Sea to Summit is an award-winning Australian brand in the outdoor industry. We design, manufacture, and distribute innovative, meticulously engineered outdoor equipment for adventures at every altitude.Sea to Summit was established in 1990. As an expanding global brand, we currently have offices in Australia, North America, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and China. We are a motivated group of experienced, creative, and forward-thinking professionals. We are connected by our shared passion to create frictionless gear so you can enjoy limitless adventures.Our promise is to be your relentless ally in every adventure. Job Description The Design Director provides leadership and management of the design team while also personally contributing to design projects. As both a leader in the business and a hands‑on designer, this role requires a commercial understanding of design that ensures that the team works within deadlines and cost constraints, while still ensuring that Sea to Summit brings true innovation and design excellence to the market. With multiple seasons being designed/developed concurrently, the role is required to be manage a large number of projects, at times with conflicting deadlines. Success will see every project being developed on time, and at a quality of design excellence that will let Sea to Summit win in the market. Are you ready for the new adventure with Sea to Summit in Perth Head Office? Apply and submit your portfolio Responsibilities Provide clear direction, mentorship, and management for the design team, nurturing a culture of creativity, accountability, and innovation. Own key projects as the Design Lead where the process and deliverables for those projects provide a template for best practice for the rest of the team. Work closely with all cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure that Design Concepts align with the Product Brief, are on cost and delivered to timelines as outlined through the stage‑gate process. Maintain effective processes and guardrails to ensure effective Design, while avoiding errors, managing cost risks and streamlining workflows, all while laddering back to business strategy and company goals. Work closely with Global Marketing to create a virtuous cycle where market and consumer insights are embedded into product design, which then supports brand storytelling and market positioning. Maintain strong working relationships with the Executive Leadership Team and other internal stakeholders, articulating the energy of creative design while maintaining a commercial perspective. Lead through influence, supporting and motivating designers while ensuring strong team cohesion. Qualifications A personal passion for the Outdoors, with a desire to integrate that personal passion into a professional environment. Deep experience in consumer goods industrial design, with demonstrated capacity in both leading and contributing to end‑to‑end product development. Proven cross‑functional collaborator, skilled at integrating the design function with commercial, category, and supply chain. Demonstrated experience of stimulating creative passion in a design team while ensuring that design outputs clearly align with the Product Brief requirements. A clear commitment to process and commercial priorities to ensure that timelines and cost targets are met. A team first leader with strong people management who is comfortable with fostering, leading and developing small team excellence. Comfortable presenting product details as well as overarching strategic choices to a range of internal and external stakeholders including the Company Executive and Board. A demonstrated capacity to understand the strategic context of the day‑to‑day projects, and a willingness to provide input and expertise into the larger business strategy. Preferred Experience in understanding the design and development process and potential challenges across both hard goods (metal and plastics) and soft goods (fabrics), with knowledge of different manufacturing techniques across those different product groups. Experience in overseeing product tooling with an understanding of how to mitigate risks associated with both time and cost overruns. High level of competence across industry standard tools such as AutoDesk Fusion, Adobe Creative Suite, Keyshot 10, Powerpoint. Experience working within a formal Stage Gate process Additional Information Our Value Proposition Working alongside an international team with passion for outdoors Staff discounts & Gear allowance Volunteering Day Off to play an active role in giving back to the community. Continuous learning and development for your personal growth Employee Assistance Program as part of our commitment to improve your holistic wellbeing Competitive salary package Paid 16 weeks parental leave Equal Opportunity Employer Sea to Summit is committed to building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and everyone is encouraged to apply. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, national origin, protected veteran status, age, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. NOTE: This job posting is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualification associated with the job. The successful candidate will be expected to perform all functions from administrative processing to leading change initiatives. #J-18808-Ljbffr