At Deckers Brands, Together, Every Step is a promise kept that every employee can bring their authentic self, is valued and supported, as a whole person, at work and beyond. Together, Every Step is how we continue to deliver exceptional business results, experience an amazing place to work, and have a positive impact on the communities and world around us.
Job Title: Sr. Director, Footwear Design - HOKA
Reports to: Vice President, Global Design - HOKA
Location: Portland, OR - Hybrid
The Role
As Senior Director, Footwear Design at HOKA, you will lead and inspire a team of talented designers, shaping the future of performance and lifestyle footwear. You’ll drive innovation, champion consumer-centric design, and execute bold strategies that elevate HOKA’s position in a competitive global market. Your leadership will foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence, ensuring our products are relevant, disruptive, and aligned with our brand values.
We celebrate diversity--of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together.
Your Impact
- Define and execute strategic design direction for HOKA’s performance and lifestyle footwear categories
- Lead seasonal design initiatives in partnership with Product, Color, Material, and Digital Design Directors
- Champion a “Best Possible” design approach to drive product vision, details, and performance
- Establish and uphold best-in-class design process practices, emphasizing digital-first workflows and modern creative methodologies
- Collaborate with Innovation, Development, and Engineering teams to build a robust innovation pipeline and push boundaries in material selection, construction, and prototyping
- Ensure consistent product branding and visual identity across all performance footwear lines
- Partner with Brand Creative to bring the “magic of design” to internal and consumer-facing environments
- Present compelling visual and verbal narratives to communicate design strategy at key milestones and leadership forums
- Represent HOKA Design at industry events, product launches, and strategic retail engagements
- Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing team of footwear designers, fostering a culture of fearless innovation and continuous learning
- Promote cross-functional collaboration and synergy across HOKA Footwear and Apparel & Accessories
- Identify and nurture top talent, supporting career development and growth through coaching, feedback, and performance management
- Drive a team culture rooted in trust, pride, and purpose, aligned with HOKA’s employee-centric values
- Partner with VP-Design, Design Leadership Team, and Brand Creative to define annual and seasonal Creative Vision + Design Direction
- Amplify design culture through seasonal design programming
- Work closely with Apparel Design, Development, Innovation, Engineering, and Digital Product teams to align tools with real-world needs
- Mentor design team in understanding of consumer and market landscape
- Attend seasonal kickoff and participate in all Design Leadership travel and factory visits
Who You Are
- Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in industrial design, product design, interaction design, or a related field
- Bring a minimum of 12 years of design experience in the performance footwear industry
- Have 5+ years of senior leadership experience managing design teams
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, MAC OS, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Vizcom, Midjourney, Figma, Miro/Lucid
- Expertise in technical drawing, biomechanics, foam and compound technologies, and innovative performance footwear construction
- Strong understanding of key digital design tools (3D + AI)
- Deep knowledge of color, materials, and advanced CAD tools
- Exceptional storytelling, visual communication, and presentation skills
- Proven ability to lead in fast-paced, global organizations with diverse stakeholders
- Advanced project management and organizational capabilities
- Experience in mentoring, developing, and recruiting design talent, fostering a high-performance culture
- Skilled in providing and receiving constructive feedback to drive creative excellence
- Portfolio showcasing creative excellence, concept/team leadership, and advanced design process
What We'll Give You –
- Competitive Pay and Bonuses - We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued.
- Financial Planning and wellbeing - No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.
- Time away from work - Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
- Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras
- Growth and Development - Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
- Health and Wellness - There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.
Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all the other beautiful parts of your identity.