Designer 2 – Footwear (Performance)

Job description

**Your opportunity at ARC’TERYX:** As a Designer 2 – Footwear, you design innovative and resolved footwear solutions that are aligned with the Arc’teryx design vision and support the evolving needs of mountain athletes and guests. In this role, you will contribute to the creation and execution of seasonal footwear product, helping build a strong and ownable Arc’teryx footwear DNA across form, fit, function, materials, and brand expression. You bring your curiosity and passion for product to imagine, prototype, and refine relevant design solutions that balance technical performance, user needs, and commercial opportunity. You are an innovative problem solver with a focus on collaborative teamwork. This role is based out of our Portland office and is expected to be performed on-location. **Meet your future team:** The Arc’teryx Footwear team creates innovative, technical product that exceeds the core mountain athlete’s needs in the outdoors. We are builders, problem solvers, and passionate outdoor enthusiasts. Fueled by curiosity, we take an immersive approach to identifying our athlete’s needs and build, test, and validate products that solve for real functional challenges. We are a passionate collective with a focus on collaborative teamwork and our vision is to redefine the industry. ### If you were in the Designer 2 – Footwear role now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing: - Creating and executing assigned performance footwear designs within seasonal timelines to complement existing collections and support future product opportunities - Contributing to the build and evolution of a clear footwear design DNA that strengthens Arc’teryx’s point of view across form, fit, function, materials, and brand expression - Supporting stage gates, internal reviews, seasonal handoffs, and product meetings with clear visual storytelling and resolved design work - Partnering with PLM, Development, Materials, Merchandising, and Commercial teams to understand product opportunities and help build key product drivers - Serving the mountain athlete and broader guest needs through research, observation, athlete input, and user-centered iterative design approaches - Creating and visually conveying concepts, sketches, renderings, mockups, prototypes, and technical details to explore and prove new footwear ideas - Providing detailed product initiations and tech pack information to Product Development, including spec drawings, patterns, fit direction, materials, colour, and construction information - Collaborating with Development and factory partners to resolve fit, construction, material, and manufacturing challenges through the product creation process - Coordinating with the Raw Materials team to source, develop, test, and apply materials appropriate to footwear performance and commercial needs - Developing and maintaining a thorough understanding of Arc’teryx footwear materials, components, tooling, construction methods, and manufacturing techniques - Collaborating closely with other designers to bring forward new and better toolbox solutions, including technologies, constructions, features, and materials - Staying current with footwear, outdoor, material, and industry trends to help ensure Arc’teryx exceeds our athletes’ and guests’ evolving needs - Assisting with current product design changes and addressing in-line production needs as required - Contributing to the creation of a new footwear chapter for Arc’teryx, centered on product, process, team, and guest experience - Helping build pinnacle footwear concepts and commercial product drivers that establish a distinct Arc’teryx footwear DNA in the market - Working closely with development teams and innovation partners to challenge and evolve how new footwear ideas move from concept to production - Collaborating with Arc’teryx athletes and industry representatives to gather insight and propose product solutions for future footwear needs ### Are you our next Designer 2 – Footwear? - You have a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Footwear Design, or equivalent industry experience - You have 5+ years of hands-on experience designing footwear or technically advanced product - You have a strong understanding of footwear construction, materials, fit, componentry, tooling, and manufacturing processes - You are able to create clear sketches, renderings, mockups, prototypes, technical drawings, and product documentation - You are proficient with Adobe Illustrator and other design tools used to communicate footwear concepts and specifications - You have strong attention to detail and can contribute to a cohesive collection of footwear products - You are an excellent team player with the ability to take direction, work independently, and collaborate across functions - You have strong planning, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills - You are proactive in identifying the root cause of issues and seeking the best solutions with a commitment to doing what is right - You remain flexible and adaptable when faced with ambiguity - You balance autonomy and collaboration while contributing to breakthrough thinking and continuous improvement - Your passion f