Senior Designer - Special Projects Design Manager

Position Overview

The Senior Designer will be responsible for developing innovative eyewear concepts and managing sketches and design presentations for licensed brands and their target customers. This role will collaborate closely with brand teams, product development, line planning, and design teams in North America and the Italian headquarters to create commercially relevant, brand-aligned eyewear collections.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in luxury accessories, preferably eyewear, along with advanced skills in industrial design, Adobe Creative Suite, 3D modeling, and 3D rendering.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and prepare sketches for new eyewear concepts based on licensor specifications and brand requirements.
• Collaborate with product development and line planning teams in North America and Italy to research innovative construction details, hardware, materials, combinations, and production/design techniques.
• Create fully resolved sketchbooks and high-quality renderings using Adobe Illustrator for presentation to licensors.
• Produce detailed technical drawings, including section drawings, exploded views, annotations, and specifications for prototyping.
• Assist with prototype and CAD assessments, revisions, and follow-up to ensure accurate translation of design concepts into final products.
• Research and interpret current and future eyewear, fashion, and industry trends in the North American market.
• Provide creative direction on product concepts that support collection strategy and incorporate relevant market trends.
• Analyze domestic and competitive markets to identify emerging products, design opportunities, and consumer trends while maintaining brand identity and business strategy.
• Lead exploratory development of new materials, construction methods, and design techniques in collaboration with North American development and line planning teams.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure designs meet creative, technical, commercial, and production requirements.
• Participate in industry conferences, trade shows, and other events to remain current on market and design developments.
• Collaborate with international design teams and contribute to global product development initiatives.
• Travel domestically and internationally as required.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum 5 years of professional design experience, preferably within specialty retail, luxury accessories, distribution, or sales environments.
• Strong understanding of product development and manufacturing/production processes.
• Experience designing luxury accessories; eyewear experience is highly preferred. Jewelry hardware and fashion accessories experience will also be considered.
• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator.
• Strong 3D modeling experience using Rhinoceros (Rhino) or similar software.
• Experience with 3D rendering tools such as KeyShot.
• Ability to create detailed technical drawings, prototypes, renderings, and presentation materials.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and international teams.
• Experience in a sales/distribution business is a plus.
• Exposure to Italian culture and/or Italian language proficiency is a plus.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Preferred Skills

• Eyewear design and product development
• Luxury accessories design
• Industrial design
• Adobe Illustrator and Creative Suite
• Rhino or comparable 3D modeling software
• KeyShot or comparable rendering software
• Technical drawing and prototyping
• Trend research and market analysis
• Product development
• Brand/licensor collaboration
• Project management
• International team collaboration

Compliance & Assignment Requirements

• OIG/GSA screening required.
• Background screening required.
• Candidate must be able to work in a hybrid environment and report to the New York office when required.
• Domestic and international travel may be required during the assignment.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a highly creative and technically skilled Senior Designer with 5+ years of experience developing luxury accessories, preferably eyewear. The candidate sh…