Jack and Sage · 12 hours ago
Design Manager and Creative Lead
Denver, CO
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$67K/yr - $80K/yr
3+ years expJack and Sage is a startup in the dynamic Outdoor Industry producing innovative apparel designed to evoke memories of experiences and brand engagement for our customers. They are seeking a Design Manager and Creative Lead to lead their design function, develop new prints and apparel graphics, and ensure designs are production-ready from concept through manufacturing.
Apparel & Fashion
Responsibilities
Lead the development of new prints, graphics, and design concepts for our apparel, ensuring each design fits the Jack and Sage brand and target market
Bring new creative ideas to the CEO; collaborate with the COO to align on priorities, calendar, and resourcing; translate the CEO’s vision into commercially successful designs, collections, and graphic stories
Stay updated on industry trends and competitor analysis; evolve designs as trends shift while maintaining a consistent Jack and Sage point of view
Own the creative process from concept through final approval—iterating quickly and incorporating feedback with a positive, team-first attitude
Balance the creative pipeline across roughly 30% brand/seasonal work and 70% custom execution, ensuring custom deliverables remain on-brand and commercially strong
Contribute as an individual contributor on creating custom designs for customers
Manage and mentor the design team (2–4 direct reports), providing clear priorities, feedback, and professional development
Create repeatable workflows and standards (briefs, templates, file organization, naming conventions) to improve speed, quality, and consistency
Collaborate cross-functionally to align timelines, deliverables, and commercial objectives for core, seasonal, and custom programs
Own and approve all tech packs and strike-offs—ensuring tech packs match approved creative mocks, and strike-offs match the tech pack specifications (color, scale, placement, repeat, and overall print/production quality)
Serve as the most knowledgeable internal expert on what designs will and will not work on specific products and decoration methods (e.g., screen print, sublimation, digital print, embroidery, applique, knits vs. wovens)
Partner with vendors/print houses to troubleshoot issues and drive solutions that protect design intent, quality, and timelines
Establish positive, and effective culture between multiple divisions who rely on design
Positive energy and attitude working with others; collaborative and open to constant feedback
Continuous improvement mindset: leverage technology to improve team efficiency, exploring tools, automation, and better systems for managing the creative pipeline
Qualification
Required
3+ years of apparel design and/or product development experience (graphics + production-ready files)
Exceptional skills with Adobe Illustrator
Strong portfolio showcasing creative and innovative apparel design work (prints/graphics) and production-ready outputs
Deep knowledge of print and embellishment methods and the practical limitations of different fabrics and product categories (knits vs. wovens, placement, repeat, color, etc.)
Strong communication and collaboration skills; able to take direction, incorporate feedback, and align work to the Founder's vision
Exceptional attention to detail and organization
Thrives in a start-up environment juggling multiple projects in parallel
Must currently live in the Denver, CO metro area. We are not considering remote candidates or relocation
Preferred
Experience in apparel industry
Experience working with a small company / startup
Prior people management experience
Experience improving team workflows using technology and process design
Benefits
Health Plan
3% 401k match
Unlimited PTO
Company
Jack and Sage
We are all about bringing fun and adventure back into apparel.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Alex Biegler
CEO
Company data provided by crunchbase