The People Brand · 2 months ago
Speedo - Global Vice President of Design
Orange County, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$275K/yr - $325K/yr
10+ years expThe People Brand is looking for a Global Vice President of Design for Speedo, a leading swimwear brand with a rich heritage in performance and innovation. In this strategic role, you will shape the global design vision and lead a multidisciplinary team while collaborating across various functions to ensure a cohesive brand expression and drive innovation in swimwear design.
ConsultingHuman ResourcesRecruitingStaffing Agency
Responsibilities
Define and lead Speedo’s global creative vision and design DNA, ensuring relevance, differentiation and consistency across all consumer segments and product categories resulting in a visual identity of the brand across markets
Champion innovation by pushing creative and technical boundaries through partnerships with internal innovation teams to shape next-gen swimwear, racing, and lifestyle collections
Deliver world-class swimwear design with deep understanding of hydrodynamics, fit, materials and athlete insight
Create and own seasonal design direction from trend forecasting, concept development and storytelling, to execution across product ranges
Strategically influence and partner with marketing, product, comms, and digital teams to align brand expression with business goals
Inspire, mentor, and manage a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team of designers, fostering a culture founded in growth mindset, collaboration, excellence, and inclusion
Embed design into the heart of the business to ensure consistency and creative integrity from product inception to consumer marketplace
Drive the implementation and adoption of generative AI tools and digital design systems to accelerate creativity, personalization, and scalability
Be a global ambassador for the brand, leading design direction and future vision to service and maintain key customers, markets and retail partners
Navigate, establish norms, and influence within a complex, matrixed global structure, balancing agility with strategic intent
Drive a culture of growth mindset, openness and continuous improvement across your teams and peers
Qualification
Required
Proven experience in leading global design for a premium consumer brand, ideally in swimwear, sport, or performance fashion
Outstanding creative credentials, with an ability to translate cultural insight and technical innovation into iconic product
A track record of delivering both visionary design leadership and commercial impact
A global mindset with a deep understanding of global consumer segmentation, regional differences, and how to build global brands with local nuance
Strong experience operating in matrix organizations, with the ability to align and influence across geographies and functions
An entrepreneurial, agile, and solution-oriented mindset; thriving in a dynamic, fast-moving environment with a bias toward curiosity and exploration of emerging technologies
A natural coach and mentor; energizes and empowers others to do the best work of their lives
Passion for water, movement, and designing with purpose
10+ years of experience in brand design, marketing design, or creative leadership roles with global exposure
Proven ability to influence lead dimensional design teams, while influencing cross-functionally
Strong conceptual thinker with an eye for detail, brand nuance, and storytelling through product
Comfortable navigating complex, global, matrix organizations and an ability to negotiate ambiguity within a fast-paced, high-growth environment
Preferred
Preferred experience with AI design tools (generative design, automation platforms)
Company
The People Brand
The People Brand offers talent acquisition, executive search, and staffing solutions for permanent and contract roles.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Katie Scheibenhoffer
Partner, Talent Executive
Company data provided by crunchbase