Associate Designer

Job Title: Associate Designer – Children’s Character Licensed Apparel

Location: New York
Department: Design
Reports To: Design Director / Senior Designer

About Us

We are a growing children’s apparel company specializing in character-driven licensed products. Our collections bring beloved entertainment properties to life through trend-forward, high-quality apparel designed especially for kids. We work with globally recognized IPs and are passionate about storytelling through design.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Associate Designer to join our design team. This role is ideal for someone who is passionate about character licensed products and eager to grow within both design and product lifecycle management.

The Associate Designer will support the design team by organizing and tracking the design process from initial concept through production This role plays a critical part in ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timely execution across all seasonal deliveries.

Key Responsibilities

Design & Creative Development

• Design children’s apparel featuring licensed character artwork
• Create original graphics and prints, aligned with licensor guidelines
• Assist in preparing artwork for licensor submissions and approvals
• Research trends in children’s fashion, graphics, and character-driven product

Product Development & Process Management

• Organize and track the design process from concept development through production
• Review and comment on factory submits (lab dips, strike-offs, print approvals, etc.)
• Compare current production samples to previous seasons to ensure consistency in color, fabrication, fit, and overall execution
• Maintain organized records of seasonal development and approvals
• Support communication between design, production, and factories
• Help ensure all licensed character artwork adheres to brand and licensor guidelines
• Manage multiple projects and deadlines with strong time management skills

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, or related field
• 1–3 years of apparel experience (children’s experience a plus)
• Proficient in Adobe Illustrator (required), Microsoft Office, and PLM systems
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Detail-oriented with ability to manage multiple stages of development
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment
• Bonus: Passion for character license IPs

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work with globally recognized character licenses
• Hands-on experience across the full product lifecycle
• Growth opportunity within design and product development
• Collaborative and creative team environment