Director of Design

Design Director

At Haggar Men's Apparel, we create products with purpose—combining quality, comfort, innovation, and value to strengthen our position as one of America's leading menswear brands and the top brand in Men's Pants and Tailored Clothing.

As Design Director, you will own your category from concept through execution—shaping the product vision, driving seasonal direction, and leading the creation of innovative, commercially compelling products that advance the brand and resonate with today's consumer.

This is a high-impact leadership role for an experienced design professional who is energized by building products with purpose, collaborating across functions, and mentoring talent within a strong, highly collaborative team. You will partner closely with merchandising, product development, technical design, sourcing, and leadership to align creative vision with brand strategy, business goals, and execution excellence.

The ideal candidate brings a strong point of view, deep product expertise, and a hands-on leadership style. They thrive in a growing, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where agility, accountability, and strong cross-functional relationships are essential—and where great ideas can quickly translate into meaningful business impact.

Essential Role Functions

• Lead seasonal line development for the category, defining the creative direction, key concepts, fabrications, silhouettes, and product strategies that align with consumer insights, market opportunity, and brand objectives.
• Own and interpret trend, consumer, and competitive insights to identify whitespace opportunities and translate them into a clear, differentiated product vision for the category.
• Build open, collaborative relationships with sourcing and sales partners to ensure product concepts are informed by current sales trends, customer needs, and sourcing strategies.
• Create and direct compelling seasonal presentations, concept tools, and design narratives that communicate category vision to internal partners and executive leadership.
• Mentor and develop design talent, providing clear direction, constructive feedback, and leadership that elevates both the work and the team.

• Direct the translation of creative concepts into clear, executable product briefs, sketches, and design intent that support efficient development and accurate execution.
• Ensure technical sketches, product specifications, and design documentation are complete, accurate, and aligned with the intended aesthetic, fit, and commercial goals of the category.

• Lead fabric and trim direction for the category, partnering cross-functionally and with suppliers to drive innovation, quality, cost alignment, and speed to market.
• Oversee the completion of design packages and BOM details, ensuring teams and partners have the information needed to move product from concept to commercialization with clarity and accuracy.

• Guide key approvals for materials, color, and product execution to ensure design intent is maintained while meeting business, quality, and timing requirements.
• Lead final sample review and approval decisions for the category, balancing design integrity, fit, quality, and commercial readiness.
• Serve as a key cross-functional leader, driving alignment and problem-solving across design, merchandising, development, technical design, and sourcing to keep product development and production moving forward successfully.

• Lead fittings and communicate design and fit intent clearly, partnering with Technical Design to ensure the final product delivers against the category vision and customer expectations.
• Drive disciplined execution and decision-making throughout development, maintaining clear documentation and ensuring consistency from concept through production readiness.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of apparel design experience, preferably in menswear, with significant category ownership and a track record of delivering commercially successful products.
• Bachelor's degree in Apparel Design or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the design process from concept through execution while balancing creativity, consumer relevance, cost, and margin goals.
• Strong experience partnering with global factories, mills, and cross-functional teams to drive product development and execution.
• Deep knowledge of apparel construction, fit, fabrication, color, and manufacturing processes.
• Strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to mentor talent and build alignment across functions and levels.
• High level of proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and PLM or similar product development systems.
• Proven ability to thrive in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment, managing multiple priorities with agility, accountability, and strong follow-through.
• Portfolio that demonstrates strong product vision, original design work, commercial acumen, and category leadership.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in tailored clothing, bottoms, or adjacent menswear categories.
• Exposure to Canadian and/or Mexico markets.
• Experience with CLO3D, YPLM, or other digital design and product development tools.

What We Offer:

• Competitive base salary.
• Three weeks of paid time off within the first year of employment.
• Company provided life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and paid parental leave.
• Health, vision, and dental insurance options with low employee contributions.
• Commuter benefit plan.
• Optional supplemental life insurance, pet insurance, and accident & critical illness insurance offered at a group discount rate.
• 401(k).
• Unlimited access to our award-winning online fitness and wellness program.
• A great place to work, fast-paced, with terrific career growth

"The statements in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Randa management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary."