Summary
The Director, Product Design will lead the end-to-end design and development of seasonal eyewear collections, translating creative direction into production-ready product. Based in the New Orleans headquarters with periodic travel to New York, this role partners closely with the Founder and cross-functional teams to build scalable design systems and protect design intent through technical execution. The position owns color development, silhouette and material selection, and ensures product meets fit, durability, and aesthetic standards prior to production.
Responsibilities
- Lead design of seasonal sun and optical collections from concept through production readiness.
- Partner with the Founder to translate product direction into technical specifications and final approvals.
- Develop silhouettes, materials, colorways, construction details, and conversion sheet specs.
- Create and maintain CADs, tech packs, sampling schedules, and fit review processes.
- Manage communications with overseas factories to ensure execution aligns with design intent and address production risks.
- Establish repeatable design processes, documentation, and calendar adherence across the department.
- Collaborate with Planning, Merchandising, Brand, and Spatial teams to align product with business and creative strategy.
- Lead trend research, concept development, mood boards, and introduce new materials and construction innovations.
Requirements
- 5+ years total design experience with eyewear or related product development.
- 2+ years of management responsibility leading design teams or projects.
- Proven track record of taking product from concept through production across multiple cycles.
- Strong technical expertise in eyewear construction, materials, fit, and durability standards.
- Advanced proficiency in CAD and Adobe Creative Suite.
- Experience working directly with overseas manufacturers and managing sampling processes.
- Strong organizational and project management skills with ability to operate independently and cross-functionally.
- High standard for design quality, attention to detail, and ability to document scalable systems.
