Department: Creative
Reports to: Senior Colour Designer, Footwear
Location: Portland, OR
Job purpose: As a Designer 1 focused on Footwear Colour, you will support the colour creative process through the development and delivery of seasonal direction. Working closely with the Design team and cross-functional partners, you will apply seasonal colour direction and athlete insights to create colour that is both expressive and built for purpose. You will help bring this process to life in line with Arc’teryx brand standards, design and product principles, and colour merchandising philosophies.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities:
- Translate seasonal direction, trend insight and Arc’teryx brand standards into colour palettes for seasonal, regional and multichannel collections
- Take a technical approach to colour application, informed by athlete insights
- Develop colour expressions for an assigned portfolio of footwear products with Colour Design lead and Product Designers
- Partner with Merchandisers and Colour Designers to keep colour consistent across categories
- Support continuance, retail flow and regional assortment planning with Product Management, Merchandising and Design
- Bring colour merchandising to life through outfit coordination, assortment aesthetics and cross-merchandising direction
- Research and curate external colour, trend and industry references to fuel the creative process
- Help build presentations that communicate seasonal direction, global trends and colour theory
Additional experience, education and/or skills required:
- Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience in colour, trend, footwear, apparel, fashion or another design discipline
- Working knowledge of trend, style and colour theory, with a growing understanding of global trends and colour harmony
- Strong colour acuity and the ability to apply colour direction precisely
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Creative Suite, with the ability to build clear visual presentations
- Understanding of the line development and retail buying process
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy across colour and product documentation
- Able to work to critical path timelines and meet deadlines
- Clear communicator and strong cross-functional collaborator
- Takes direction and feedback well and contributes positively to the team
- Awareness of global markets and cultural differences
Assets:
- Knowledge of colour development, including lab dips, colour standards, colourfastness and digital colour assessment
- Ability to tell stories through visual communication
- Knowledge of Arc’teryx and other outdoor products and how they’re used
- Proactive, resourceful problem solver who spots issues early and finds practical solutions aligned with team and brand standards
- Flexible and adaptable when priorities shift
- Balances independent work with collaboration
- Curious, with ideas that drive continuous improvement
Compensation:
Most new team members join between the start and midpoint of the range, where you can contribute right away while continuing to grow your craft, your collaborations, and your impact at Arc’teryx. This range reflects market alignment and the scope of the role. Individual pay is determined by your skills, experience, and level of responsibility.
We’re committed to fair, equitable, and competitive pay, reviewed regularly to ensure internal alignment and market relevance. Transparency is part of how we follow through on our commitments and how we honour the value you bring to our team.
In addition to base pay, Arc’teryx supports people through benefits designed to sustain both work and life:
- Health & wellbeing - Extended health, dental, and vision coverage, including mental health support, fertility benefits, and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Financial wellbeing - Immediately vested 401(k) retirement savings plan matching, eligibility for Arc'teryx Annual Incentive Plan and access to Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), where applicable.
- Time & Flexibility - Paid time off, and No Wasted Day program (dedicated paid days to get outside & explore).
- Family support - Parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents, including an option to ease the transition back to work.
- Growth, community & gear - Professional development opportunities, Arc'teryx Academies (outdoor skill-building events), Employee Belonging Councils, and access to employee discounts and Pro Deals (exclusive discounted pricing on gear).
*Eligibility for certain programs may vary by role.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent education and experience
- Experience in colour, trend, footwear, apparel, fashion, or another design discipline
- Working knowledge of trend, style, colour theory, global trends, and colour harmony
- Strong colour acuity and ability to apply colour direction precisely
- Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Creative Suite
- Understanding of line development and retail buying processes
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in colour and product documentation
- Ability to meet critical path timelines and deadlines
- Clear communication and strong cross-functional collaboration skills
- Ability to accept direction and feedback and contribute positively to the team
- Awareness of global markets and cultural differences
- Knowledge of colour development, including lab dips, colour standards, colourfastness, and digital colour assessment
- Ability to communicate stories through visual presentation
- Knowledge of Arc'teryx and outdoor products
- Proactive, adaptable, resourceful, and curious approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement
What We Do
Arc’teryx is a global design company based in North Vancouver, B.C. that specializes in technical high-performance outerwear and equipment. We design and manufacture a wide range of mountain sports outdoor apparel and equipment for all conditions and experiences, including mountaineering, ice and rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and trail running. Our company is built on a passionate and relentless commitment to design, craftsmanship and performance. We have a unique construction process that enables us to create technical products that can be trusted to perform at the point of extreme need. We are uniquely positioned in our industry as we have our own factory located in New Westminster, BC, which enables us to build products with a meticulous focus on detail and performance. We leverage this manufacturing knowledge and share it with our global partner factories. In the Coast Mountain Range behind our headquarters and design centre in North Vancouver, we field test our products in real world conditions allowing us to create the best-fitting, longest-lasting, highest-performing technical products available. We distribute our outerwear and equipment through more than 3,000 retail locations worldwide, in over 40 countries globally, including 38 branded and outlet stores in Europe, North America and Asia. The company started with six employees in 1989 and now has more than 1000 employees in Canada.
