Senior Director of Design

Company: Pendleton Woolen Mills Inc
Location: Portland
Posted on: February 15, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Pendleton has been woven in the West since 1863. Built on a legacy of craft, quality, and authenticity, our products are known for their timeless design and enduring stories. As we continue to evolve, we’re seeking a Senior Director of Product Design to lead and shape the future of our product design across all categories. As a senior leader on the Product team, this role is responsible for defining and executing a holistic product design vision aligned with Pendleton’s brand DNA of effortless, storied, and timeless design. You’ll balance long-term strategic thinking with hands-on leadership of seasonal and multi-season product lines, while ensuring strong collaboration across teams and measurable business impact. In this role, you’ll lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse design team, guide creative direction across categories, and oversee the design process from concept through execution. You’ll work closely with product management and brand creative partners to deliver cohesive product stories, while maintaining high standards for quality, calendar adherence, and financial performance. Responsibilities · Define, champion, and protect a global product design vision aligned to the Brand DNA across all product categories · Lead long-term and seasonal product design direction, including pre-season concepting · Partner with product leaders and brand creative partners to deliver cohesive seasonal and annual product stories · Provide strategic direction, leadership, mentorship, and inspiration to a diverse team of designers while driving alignment and cohesion of the line across all categories · Manage the design process budget, including design cost, to deliver on financial targets and KPI · Attract, develop, and retain top design talent while building a long-term talent pipeline for the brand · Monitor progress against plans, course-correct as needed, and clearly communicate impacts to leadership and cross-functional partners · Make decisive trade-off decisions that protect brand standards and long-term value · Build a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement, supported by clear scope, KPIs, deliverables, and resource plans · Maintain strong awareness of competitors, market trends, and consumer needs. Core Expectations: · Strong product acumen with end-to-end knowledge of apparel product development, including design, development, costing, sourcing, and manufacturing, with cut-and-sew experience preferred · Fluency in English: additional language valued · Excellence in project planning and management, with the ability to manage multiple timelines and deadlines · In-depth knowledge of design techniques, processes, and technology with a strong comprehension of product construction, color trends, textiles, and materials · A proven ability to create new concepts and bring them to reality · The ability to balance creativity and bottom-line business needs · Knowledge of costing components and product fabrication, with the ability to achieve margin target · Ability to engage and inspire people at all levels of the organization with a proven history of building strategic working relationships through trust, excellence in collaboration, and communication skills · Growth mindset with enthusiasm for learning new tools and solving complex problems · Strong leadership capability with a track record of developing future leaders and retaining diverse, high-performing teams · Decisive leadership style with comfort in making tough decisions and taking calculated risks · Passion for your work matched by passion for the brand Education & Experience Bachelor’s degree in design or a related field 15 years of progressive design experience, including 10 years of leadership managing teams of 6 designers across apparel and accessory categories Demonstrated experience mentoring talent and building a positive team culture Tools & Systems Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop) Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new design and project management tools Pendleton is committed to creating a workplace that celebrates diversity and fosters inclusion. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

Keywords: Pendleton Woolen Mills Inc, Portland , Senior Director of Design, Design, Graphic Design & CAD , Portland, Oregon