Design Director

Company Description Sea to Summit is an awardwinning Australian brand in the outdoor industry. We design, manufacture, and distribute innovative, meticulously engineered outdoor equipment for adventures at every altitude. Founded in 1990, the company operates globally with offices in Australia, North America, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and China and is committed to creating frictionless gear so you can enjoy limitless adventures. Job Summary The Design Director provides leadership and management of the design team while personally contributing to design projects. This role combines commercial insight with design excellence, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, on budget and at the highest quality to keep Sea to Summit competitive. The Director will manage multiple concurrent seasons, align design concepts with product briefs, integrate market insights, and champion a culture of creativity and accountability. Responsibilities Provide clear direction, mentorship, and management for the design team. Own key projects as Design Lead, establishing bestpractice deliverables. Work closely with crossfunctional stakeholders to align concepts with product briefs, cost targets and timelines. Maintain effective processes and guardrails to avoid errors, manage cost risks and streamline workflows while supporting business strategy. Partner with Global Marketing to embed consumer insights into product design, supporting brand storytelling and positioning. Build strong relationships with the Executive Leadership Team and other stakeholders, articulating creative vision with a commercial perspective. Lead through influence, motivating designers and ensuring strong team cohesion. Qualifications Essential Personal passion for the outdoors and ability to integrate that into a professional environment. Deep experience in consumer goods industrial design, with a proven track record of both leading and contributing to endtoend product development. Strong crossfunctional collaboration skills, integrating design with commercial, category, and supplychain functions. Experience stimulating creative passion in a design team while ensuring outputs align with product brief requirements. Commitment to process and commercial priorities to meet timelines and cost targets. Peoplefirst leadership, capable of fostering, leading and developing a highperforming team. Comfortable presenting product details and strategic choices to a range of stakeholders, including the Executive Board. Understanding of the strategic context of daytoday projects and willingness to contribute to broader business strategy. Preferred Knowledge of design and development processes across hard goods (metal & plastic) and soft goods (fabrics), including manufacturing techniques. Experience overseeing product tooling and mitigating risks related to time and cost overruns. Proficiency with industrystandard tools such as AutoDesk Fusion, Adobe Creative Suite, Keyshot 10, and PowerPoint. Experience working within a formal StageGate process. Additional Information Work alongside an international team with a passion for outdoors. Staff discounts & gear allowance. Volunteering Day Off for community engagement. Continuous learning and development opportunities. Employee Assistance Program supporting overall wellbeing. Competitive salary package. Paid 16week parental leave. Hybrid work arrangement. Equal Opportunity Employer Sea to Summit is committed to building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. 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, veteran status, age, or any other status protected by applicable law. Seniority Level Not Applicable Employment Type Fulltime Job Function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology #J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-11-16