Designer L1

Position Summary

The Designer LV1, Guatemala supports the accessories design team in creating trend-right, commercially viable belts and small leather goods from concept through sample development. This role is product-design focused, with emphasis on trend and market research, CAD development, material and hardware exploration, technical drawings, spec accuracy, PLM support, and communication with cross-functional partners and overseas factories. The Designer LV1 partners with design leadership, merchandising, sales, and brand/licensor teams to help deliver seasonal collections that align with brand direction, customer needs, target costs, and development timelines.

Essential Job Functions

•    Research current accessory, fashion, retail, and competitive trends to support seasonal product direction and identify market opportunities.

•    Create product concepts, CADs, flat sketches, colorways, and line drawings for belts, wallets, and related small leather goods under design direction.

•    Support the development of seasonal collections that align with brand identity, licensor direction, customer needs, target costing, and overall line architecture.

•    Assist in material, construction, trim, hardware, color, and finish development, including organizing references and communicating development needs clearly.

•    Prepare accurate technical drawings, product specifications, callouts, and supporting details for sample development and factory execution.

•    Build and maintain tech pack content, sample requests, PLM updates, line lists, and design files with strong attention to detail and version control.

•    Collaborate with merchandising, sales, packaging, sourcing, and design partners to support customer presentations, licensor reviews, market decks, and seasonal milestones.

•    Create trend boards, product presentation pages, and supporting collateral that communicate product stories, not just graphic layouts.

•    Track assigned work against the design calendar, anticipate potential issues, and communicate risks or needs quickly to the manager.

•    Maintain organized digital files, reference libraries, sample notes, and product development records.

•    Perform other duties as required or assigned, reasonably within the scope of the product design function.

Minimum Qualifications

•    Degree in Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Accessories Design, Product Design, or equivalent related experience.

•    1–3 years of experience in fashion accessories, product design, industrial design, or a related consumer product design field.

•    Strong Adobe Illustrator skills for CADs, technical drawings, line drawings, colorways, and presentation-ready product concepts.

•    Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

•    Understanding of product development, materials, construction, trims, hardware, color, and manufacturing considerations.

•    Ability to create clear technical drawings/specifications and translate design direction into factory-ready details.

•    Strong attention to detail, organization, time management, and ability to work against seasonal deadlines.

•    Clear verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across design, merchandising, sourcing, sales, and factory partners.

•    Portfolio required, showing product design process, CAD/technical skills, trend interpretation, and finished product examples where available.

•    Ability to receive, lift, open, and unpack boxes containing product samples.

Preferred Qualifications

•    Experience designing belts, wallets, handbags, leather goods, footwear, apparel accessories, or other sewn/constructed consumer products.

•    Knowledge of leather, synthetic materials, webbing, textiles, hardware, trims, embossing, stitching, edge finishing, and related construction methods.

•    Experience using PLM systems for style creation, sample requests, BOM/spec updates, and sample tracking.

•    Experience communicating with overseas factories or sourcing teams on product development details.

•    Bilingual Spanish and English communication skills.

•    3D software, 3D printing, AI visualization, or digital prototyping experience is a plus.

•    Understanding of designing within target costs, margin needs, raw material capabilities, and customer/brand requirements.

Key Skills & Competencies

•    Product design mindset: balances aesthetics, function, construction, cost, and brand relevance.

•    Technical accuracy: creates detailed, production-ready drawings and specifications.

•    Trend translation: converts market research into consumer-right product ideas.

•    Cross-functional collaboration: works effectively with design, merchandising, sourcing, sales, licensors, and factory partners.

•    Ownership and follow-through: manages assigned development tasks, tracks progress, and communicates issues early.

•    Presentation clarity: creates clean, product-focused boards and decks that explain the design story and commercial opportunity.

Portfolio Guidance

•    Portfolio should demonstrate product design thinking rather than only graphic design or layout work.

•    Strong examples may include CADs, hand sketches, technical drawings, material callouts, construction details, trend boards, color stories, sample revisions, and final product photography.

•    Accessory, leather goods, footwear, apparel, industrial design, or consumer product development examples are highly relevant.