Designer II, Advanced Footwear Design, Visual Brand + CMF Design

Job description

**Who We Are:** At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation. Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success: - ***Runner First*** - *We act in the best interest of the runner* - ***Word is Bond*** - *We do what we say we’ll do* - ***Champion Heart*** - *We give our all in everything we do* - ***There is no “I” in Run*** - *We stay generous with our humanity* - ***Keep Moving*** - *We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!* We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement - because we’re *all* moving towards something. Let’s run there. ### Your Job: As a Brooks Running Designer 2, Advanced Footwear Design, Visual Brand + CMF Design, you will help shape future seasonal product through thoughtful integration of identity markers, color, materials, finishes, and graphic storytelling. The role focuses on elevating franchise visuals, exploring scalable methods of product expression, and creating compelling CMF components that inform future seasonal toolboxes and inline product creation. In this role, you will establish and build relationships with material vendors and factories across the globe. Through your keen design expertise and understanding of the power of brand expression, trends, consumer tastes, and style preferences, you will design into componentry, materials, and style-level CMF packages to help drive aesthetic across design toolboxes to ensure individual styles meet Brooks’s Crafted Beauty quality standards. Scope of design solutions will range from identity markers, footwear graphic exploration, future material, trim, and treatment packages to the analysis, creation, and coloration of post-process elements, details, finishes, paints for performance and aesthetic. Working closely with the Senior Manager, Advanced Footwear Design, CMF, and cross-functional partners across Design, Innovation, Materials Development, Product Development, Product Line Management, and Color, you will contribute to future-focused concepts and seasonal CMF toolboxes that align with Brooks' performance vision and Crafted Beauty standards. You will leverage both traditional and emerging visualization tools to communicate design intent with speed, clarity, and inspiration, enabling rapid exploration and decision-making throughout the product creation process. ### Your Responsibilities: Visual Brand + CMF Design - Create original identity marks, graphic, print, and CMF concepts that establish distinction across footwear franchises while reinforcing seasonal storytelling and brand identity. - Develop scalable visual identity solutions and logo applications that adapt across multiple product platforms and consumer experiences. - Explore innovative methods of product expression through materials, finishes, graphics leveraging existing and emerging techniques to identify opportunities, inform direction and make recommendations based on exploration findings. - Elevate product storytelling through thoughtful integration, placement, proportion, and execution of identity markers and graphic elements. - Research consumer insights, market trends, competitor activity, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for innovation and future product expression. - Create and maintain identity markers, CMF specifications, and technical documentation that accurately communicate design intent to development and manufacturing partners. - Prepare CMF tech packs and supporting materials for sampling, development, and production. - Utilize visualization tools, renderings, AI-assisted creative platforms, and rapid concept exploration methods to accelerate design development and communication. - Help shape seasonal concept development and future vision projects that influence CMF toolboxes, franchise expression, and footwear innovation. Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner with the Senior Manager, Advanced Footwear Design, CMF, and VP of Footwear Design to develop identity markers and CMF solutions that support Brooks' long-term product and brand strategy. - Collaborate closely with Footwear Design, Materials Development, Product Development, Product Line Management, Innovation, and Color teams throughout the product creation process. - Translate creative concepts into manufacturable solutions that meet performance, quality, cost, and sustainability objectives. - Participate in design reviews, sample evaluations, concept critiques, and cross-functional working sessions. - Present concepts, design rationale, consumer insights, and seasonal storytelling to internal teams and leadership. - Effectively communicate design intent, strategic thinking, and key recommendations through compelling visual and verbal storytelling. Contribution & Self-Management - Demonstrate ownership and accountability for assigned projects from concept through execution. - Act as a collaborative design partner and CMF advocate across teams. - Seek mentorship and continuously develop design, communication, and technical skills. - Maintain project timelines and deliverables while proactively communicating status, risks, and opportunities. - Build relationships with Product Development and supplier partners to deepen understanding of footwear construction, materials, and emerging technologies. - Attend factory visits, supplier reviews, and industry events to stay informed on new capabilities, manufacturing processes, and innovation opportunities. - Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support development, research, and innovation initiatives. ### Your Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Footwear Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Textile Design, Apparel Design, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. - 5+ years of experience in footwear, apparel, graphic, brand, CMF, or related product design. - Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in: - Brand identity markers and graphic systems - Logo ideation and application - CMF design and development - Product storytelling and visual communication - Strong understanding of color, composition, typography, materials, and visual design principles. - Experience utilizing AI-assisted creative tools and visualization platforms for concept development, storytelling, and rapid exploration. - Familiarity with 3D visualization tools such as Blender, Rhino, KeyShot, Substance, or similar platforms is preferred but not required. - Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. - Understanding of manufacturing processes, material capabilities, and product development workflows. - Strong conceptual thinking, problem-solving, and creative ideation skills. - Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. - Strong verbal, written, presentation, and storytelling abilities. - Ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across diverse teams and disciplines. - High level of initiative, curiosity, accountability, and independent work ethic. - Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. - Ability to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 10%). - Embraces and lives the Brooks values.