VF: Principal Apparel Protoype Concept Designer (Innovation)

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What will you do?
The Senior Innovation Designer, Apparel is a highly experienced creative contributor within Enterprise Innovation, responsible for leading complex apparel innovation projects from early exploration through validated prototypes and transition-ready concepts.
Working within the innovation direction and priorities established by the Director, Innovation Design, this role brings together consumer insights, brand DNA, advanced materials, emerging technologies, construction methods, and rapid making to create differentiated apparel solutions with the potential to scale across brands.
This is a hands-on design role for a curious, experimental maker who thrives in ambiguity and operates with a learn-fast mindset, moving quickly from insight to tangible prototypes, testing early, and using evidence to iterate toward compelling, feasible, and scalable solutions.
Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more:
What will you do?
A day in the life of a Senior Innovation Designer, Apparel at VF looks a little like this.
Innovation Design & Concept Development
Lead apparel innovation projects from early exploration through validated prototypes and transition-ready handoff.
Translate consumer insights, brand needs, trend signals, material opportunities, and emerging technologies into differentiated apparel concepts.
Explore new opportunities across materials, construction, fit, function, sustainability, manufacturing methods, and product experience.
Develop strong design points of view while working within the broader innovation direction, briefs, hypotheses, and priorities established by Innovation leadership.
Hands-On Design & Prototyping
Personally design and prototype concepts using sketching, digital tools, material experimentation, construction exploration, and rapid physical prototyping.
Establish prototype-first approaches, moving quickly from concept to artifact, review, test, learning, and iteration.
Partner closely with Materials, Development, Testing and other technical partners to validate concepts and assess feasibility.
Translate learning into actionable design criteria, specifications, construction solutions, and subsequent prototype iterations.
Materials & Technology Integration
Explore and apply advanced textiles, constructions, treatments, manufacturing techniques, and emerging technologies to create meaningful product innovation.
Collaborate with internal and external material and technology partners to develop and evaluate new solutions.
Consider design intent, sustainability, manufacturability, durability, cost, and scalability throughout the design process.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as the design lead for assigned innovation projects, working across Design, Development, Materials, Testing, Sourcing, Supply Chain and Manufacturing.
Drive clarity and momentum across projects, identifying design trade-offs and escalating key decisions or risks when appropriate.
Partner with brand teams to ensure concepts respect brand DNA and can effectively transition into product roadmaps and product creation.
Build relationships with external vendors, suppliers, research institutions, and technology partners to accelerate exploration and learning.
Design Excellence & Communication
Create compelling prototypes, visualizations, presentations, and narratives that clearly communicate consumer need, design intent, hypotheses, and innovation potential.
Present work effectively to Innovation leadership, brand design teams, and cross-functional stakeholders.
Maintain a high bar for design craft and ensure design intent is preserved through iterative prototyping and transition to product creation.
Share expertise, methods, and learning with other designers, contributing to stronger innovation capabilities and consistent design quality across the team.
What do you need to succeed?
We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 6+ years of experience in apparel design, innovation, advanced concepts, or technical product creation.
The foundation skills you will need in this position are:
Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
Strong portfolio demonstrating apparel design craft, innovation thinking, and the ability to translate consumer needs and insights into tangible product solutions.
Strong understanding of apparel materials, construction methods, fit, patterning, and manufacturing processes.
Strong hands-on prototyping skills and demonstrated ability to move between digital and physical design exploration.
Experience leading complex design projects from early concept through validated prototype and product handoff.
Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments and use experimentation and learning to inform design decisions.
Experience collaborating with Development, Materials, Testing, Sourcing, and other product creation partners.
Strong visual and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex design concepts clearly.
Fluency in relevant apparel design and digital product creation tools and workflows.
There are also a few skills that are not required but preferred.
Experience with advanced textiles, material innovation, engineered constructions, bonding, knitting, digital manufacturing, or other emerging apparel technologies.
Experience with consumer testing and translating insights into product requirements.
Experience using 3D apparel design and digital sampling tools.
Experience developing sustainability-driven solutions through materials, construction, durability, circularity, or waste reduction.
Exposure to IP, invention disclosure, or patent processes.
Success Measures
Delivers differentiated apparel innovation concepts that address meaningful consumer and brand opportunities.
Demonstrates strong learning velocity, moving effectively from insight to prototype, test, learning, and iteration.
Consistently produces high-quality design work rooted in craft, creativity, and technical rigor.
Develops concepts that demonstrate technical feasibility and potential scalability.
Successfully transitions validated concepts and learning into brand roadmaps and product creation.
Creates clarity and momentum across complex, cross-functional innovation projects.
Contributes to the design quality, methods, and innovation capability of the broader team.
Now WE have a question for YOU.
Are you in?
Hiring Range:
$125,280.00 USD - $156,600.00 USD annu

Skills
Excel, Prototyping, Sourcing

Experience
8+ yrs