Department: Creative
Reports to: Director, Design
Location: North Vancouver, BC
Your opportunity at ARC’TERYX:
As Senior Design Developer, you build fully resolved product solutions in alignment with the original intent and vision of the product design, while sharing your expertise and providing guidance to Design Developers and Design Assistants. In this role, you bridge Inline and Advanced Concepts work, focused on deep innovation and longer term projects. You are a passionate builder of product, and you bring your curiosity to develop creative solutions for a better way to innovate product. In close collaboration with cross functional teams, you manage progress from conception through to seasonal sampling.
Key Products You’ll Be Designing For:
- Inline innovation concepts for Men’s and Women’s. These concepts require a longer Research & Development (R&D) process that exceeds the inline process timeframe with an emphasis on fit
- Future-focused apparel; knitwear, underwear etc.
This role is based out of our North Vancouver office. Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada.
Meet your future team:
We are builders, problem solvers and passionate outdoor enthusiasts. Fueled by curiosity, we take an immersive approach to identifying future needs then build, test, and validate products that solve for real functional challenges. We are innovative problem solvers with a focus on collaborative teamwork.
If you were in the Senior Design Developer role now, here are some of the core activities you would be doing:
- Creating and developing unique and resolved solutions through patterning and concept prototyping, ensuring alignment with Arc’teryx design philosophies, the original intent and vision for the product
- Producing production level and resolved garments, along with the supporting documentation to ensure scalable construction in a production environment
- Sharing your knowledge and expertise with the full team and coaching and mentoring others to develop their knowledge and expertise
- Providing guidance and training to Design Developers and Design Assistants
- In collaboration with Designers, Pattern Makers and Product Developers, documenting and communicating new construction processes, techniques and manufacturing solutions that meet Arc’teryx product ideals
- Building partial or complete concept prototypes to allow solutions to be tested, reviewed, and validated
- Collaborating with Pattern Makers and Product Developers on seasonal projects as needed
- Influencing and contributing to Design in developing standards and ensure consistency across all styles within the line plan, including working with Pattern Making, Product Development and Fit & Pattern to validate and implement standards
- Testing various materials to assess suitability for various construction techniques and end uses, providing recommendations on final selection as well as diligently documenting information and results throughout the process
- Providing guidance to the Sample and Design teams and respond to problems as they arise
- Supporting the Design leaders with special projects as needed
- Travelling to market and factories as required
Here are some of the things you could be working on in the future:
- Partnering with Design leadership to contribute to long-term innovation strategies across all apparel categories
- Collaborating with Designers and Design Developers to build sample to test, fit, iterate and validate new concepts and future-focused product in the field
Are you our next Senior Design Developer?
- You have a diploma or degree in Fashion Design, or the equivalent experience
- You have 7+ years’ hands-on experience in a technical design environment, making technical apparel and/or relevant textile-based products
- You have previous pattern making experience, particularly CAD experience with Gerber
- You are an expert level sewer, builder, and patternmaker
- You are proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Illustrator, with the ability to pick up new computer applications quickly
- You have advanced knowledge, skill and ability in mentoring others on the Arc’teryx design processes, patterning, sewing, and construction, with advanced technical and creative skills to pattern and prototype new products
- You have a relationship with, and knowledge of our core sports and you deeply understand the end-user needs of these athletes
- You are an excellent team player with the ability to take direction, work with minimal supervision and mentor and develop team members
- You have previous experience in training, coaching, or mentoring others
- You are proactive in identifying the root cause of issues and developing solutions
- You remain highly flexible and adaptable when faced with ambiguity
- You are able to balance autonomy and collaboration
- You inspire breakthrough thinking and continuous improvement
- You seek the best (but sometimes not the easiest) solutions, with an unwavering commitment to do what is right
- Your passion for your work is paralleled by your passion for getting outside and living it
- A strong knowledge of Arc’teryx products and interest/involvement in activities Arc’teryx makes products for
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, gender-affirming care and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Financial wellbeing - RRSP matching and eligibility for Arc'teryx Annual Incentive Plan and access to Employee Stock Purchase program (ESPP) where applicable.
- Time & Flexibility - Paid time off, wellness time, and No Wasted Day program (dedicated paid days to get outside & explore).
- Family support - Parental leave top-up and a nesting period for new parents.
- 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
- 7+ years' hands-on experience in a technical design environment
- Previous pattern making experience, particularly CAD experience with Gerber
- Expert level sewer, builder, and patternmaker
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Illustrator
- Advanced knowledge in mentoring others on design processes, patterning, and construction
- Previous experience in training, coaching, or mentoring others
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.
