Director, Design

Be part of an amazing story.

Macy's is more than just a store. We're a story. One that's captured the hearts and minds of America for more than 160 years. A story about innovations and traditions...about inspiring stores and irresistible products...about the excitement of the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, and the wonder of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. We've been part of memorable moments and milestones for countless customers and colleagues. Those stories are part of what makes this such a special place to work.

Job Overview

The Director, Design drives the brand's creative direction and oversees all aspects of design, including concept development, materials, silhouettes, and color. They bring visionary thinking to the role and effectively influence both internal teams and external partners to align with the brand's aesthetic and strategic goals.

What You Will Do

Assortment Vision, Strategy & Selection

• Lead trend and category research across the retail market, identifying key action points and innovative ideas informed by both macro and micro trends.
• Identify cultural trends and their impact on the fashion industry, sourcing inspiration from runway shows and unconventional outlets such as museums, vintage collections, and trade shows.
• Define and drive a progressive, customer-centric strategic vision that aligns with sales and profit objectives.
• Set the seasonal fashion direction for the brand and present at Color & Concept meetings, ensuring aesthetic cohesion and interpreting fashion trends, assortment opportunities, and merchandise direction.
• Ground seasonal concepts in retail and trend landscapes by identifying new design inspiration, product opportunities, and trend direction for assigned categories.
• Align with pod partners on product direction and strategy, fostering open, inclusive dialogue to ensure alignment on product assortment and a unified "one-team" approach.
• Lead the design team in the development and execution of product that meets overall merchandise strategies and reflects brand vision, ensuring designs are delivered on time and meet aesthetic and commercial goals.
• Support milestone meetings by ensuring presentations clearly communicate design intent and strategic alignment. Guide the preparation of Line Development and Pre-line meetings to include assortment architecture, updates on sample execution, and relevant creative materials (e.g., color boards, concept boards, print, and storyboards).
• Maintain deep category expertise by consistently shopping the market and researching emerging trends, materials, colors, and design inspiration.
• Travel to domestic and international markets (Europe, Asia) to identify new themes, inspirations, and collaborate with vendor partners.
• Make in-season design adjustments based on sales performance, margin, and turn forecasts in partnership with Product Development and Buying.
• Adapt product assortments based on customer feedback and emerging trends.
• Lead key program identification within classifications to support broader strategic initiatives.
• Drive the team to meet calendar milestones and deliverables with high quality and timeliness.

Alignment with Cross-Functional Partners

• Lead vendor co-collaboration opportunities, ensuring all parties understand and align with brand DNA and expectations for each partnership.
• Maintain a strong industry presence to foster new business opportunities and ideas, representing Macy's brand and building external relationships.
• Partner closely with technical design, merchandising, product development, sourcing, and CAD teams to streamline workflows, share insights, and align on goals.
• Engage regularly with Omni partners to communicate line direction and gather feedback.
• Collaborate across the organization to elevate standards in product design and presentation.
• Attend key fit sessions to review and approve counter samples as needed, supporting silhouette and design integrity.
• Foster an environment of acceptance and respect that strengthens relationships, and ensures authentic connections with colleagues, customers, and communities.
• In addition to the essential duties mentioned above, other duties may be assigned.

Skills You Will Need

Creative Direction & Brand Vision - Skilled at setting and driving the seasonal design direction, ensuring alignment with the brand's aesthetic and strategic objectives across all categories and platforms.

Trend & Cultural Insight - Expert at identifying macro and micro trends, cultural shifts, and their impact on fashion; sources inspiration from diverse outlets including runways, vintage archives, museums, and trade shows.

Strategic Thinking & Assortment Planning - Ability to define a customer-centric design strategy that supports business goals, merchandise strategies, and evolving consumer behavior.

Product & Design Development - Leads the design team in developing innovative, trend-relevant product that meets commercial, aesthetic, and financial goals across silhouettes, materials, prints, and color.

Cross-Functional Collaboration - Builds strong partnerships across technical design, merchandising, sourcing, CAD, and Omni teams to align on strategy and ensure seamless execution from concept to customer.

Vendor Partnership & Co-Creation - Leads external vendor collaborations and ensures alignment with brand DNA, quality expectations, and overall design strategy.

Presentation & Communication Skills - Communicates design vision and product strategy clearly through compelling presentations at milestone meetings and cross-functional forums.

Leadership & Team Development - Inspirational leader with a proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop high-performing, collaborative teams while promoting a healthy, open, and inclusive work environment.

Adaptability & Decision-Making - Comfortable taking creative risks, pivoting priorities based on market feedback and performance, and making decisive, informed design choices.

Color & Print Expertise - Strong color sense and print development skills with the ability to differentiate the color spectrum and create cohesive, brand-right palettes and patterns.

Industry Awareness & Competitive Intelligence - Maintains a strong external presence and a pulse on the competitive landscape to ensure relevance, innovation, and differentiation in the market.

Project & Calendar Management - Demonstrates excellent time management and organizational skills, ensuring the team delivers high-quality work on time and according to development milestones.

Technical Proficiency - Proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, Illustrator, Photoshop, and PLM systems to support daily workflow, line development, and design execution.

Who You Are

• Candidates with a bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in a related field are encouraged to apply. 6+ years of industry experience.
• Regularly required to sit, talk, hear; use hands/fingers to touch, handle, and feel. Occasionally required to move about the workplace and reach with hands and arms. Requires close vision.
• Able to work a flexible schedule based on department and company needs.

What We Can Offer You

Join a team where work is as rewarding as it is fun! We offer a dynamic, inclusive environment with competitive pay and benefits. Enjoy comprehensive health and wellness coverage and a 401(k) match to invest in your future. Prioritize your well-being with paid time off and eight paid holidays. Grow your career with continuous learning and leadership development. Plus, build community by joining one of our Colleague Resource Groups and make a difference through our volunteer opportunities.

Some additional benefits we offer include:

• Merchandise discounts
• Performance-based incentives
• Annual merit review
• Employee Assistance Program with mental health counseling and legal/financial advice
• Tuition reimbursement

Access the full menu of benefits offerings here.

About Us

This is a great time to join Macy's! Whether you're helping a customer find the perfect gift, streamlining operations in one of our distribution centers, enhancing our online shopping experience, buying in-style and on-trend merchandise to outfit our customers, or designing a balloon for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, we offer unique opportunities to be part of some of the most memorable moments in people's lives.

Join us and help write the next chapter in our story - apply today!

This job description is not all-inclusive. Macy's, Inc. reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. Macy's, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.

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