Vuori · 1 day ago
Design Operations Manager
Carlsbad, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$127K/yr - $163K/yr
7+ years expVuori is redefining athletic apparel with a focus on a casual aesthetic for everyday life. They are seeking a Design Operations Manager to support their Apparel Design team by driving operational excellence, managing the seasonal design calendar, and fostering collaboration across teams.
ApparelBrand MarketingE-CommerceFashionMarketingRetailSales
Responsibilities
Own and manage the seasonal Design calendar, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders (Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing) to ensure key milestones are visible, achievable, and aligned
Act as a central hub of communication for the Design team, ensuring clarity on seasonal goals, priorities, timelines, and deliverables
Lead the planning, logistics, and execution of key creative milestone meetings, ensuring teams are prepared with product rooms, presentation decks, and samples
Identify and implement workflow improvements, tools, and templates that streamline the design process and enhance team productivity
Establish and maintain best practices for cross-team collaboration, documentation, and decision-making
Monitor and evaluate the efficiency of design operations processes; recommend and implement improvements that drive scale and increase speed to market
Partner with Product Ops to ensure seamless handoffs and consistent documentation between Design and downstream teams
Manage the operational relationship between internal design functions to ensure consistency and shared standards
Build strong relationships across teams to support and maintain process discipline
Act as the documentation owner for Design Ops—maintaining operational playbooks, updated workflows, and best-practice resources
Lead cross-functional planning for partnership and capsule projects, ensuring timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables are clearly defined and met
Serve as the key operational partner for collaboration projects with the Marketing team to ensure that programs alignment with product launches and business objectives
Work closely with internal Design partners to manage timelines and deliverables for capsule collections
Collaborate with Merchandising to align capsule assortments with business needs, including key item strategy and volume-driving styles
Coordinate project milestones, manage partnership touchpoints, and ensure alignment from concept through launch
Own tracking tools, timelines, and workflow documentation for all special projects; escalate risks and roadblocks proactively
Drive clarity and alignment through communication across product and partnership teams
Evaluate current tools and identify gaps or inefficiencies in how the Design team manages projects and tracks work
Develop reporting dashboards and tracking systems to provide visibility into seasonal progress, project status, and team bandwidth
Champion the adoption of new tools and systems; lead training sessions and create supporting documentation to ensure successful implementation
Partner with technology and business systems teams to explore integrations that support creative operations
Organize Design team events, offsites, and collaborative sessions that strengthen culture and connection
Coordinate travel logistics for Design leaders and team needs when relevant
Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement within the Design organization
Act as a thought partner to the Associate Director of Design Operations in shaping the long-term vision and maturity of the Design Ops function
Support team onboarding and knowledge sharing by developing documentation and playbooks that promote consistency and clarity
Drive inclusive collaboration practices across creative and technical teams, ensuring diverse perspectives are integrated into decision-making
Qualification
Required
7+ years of experience in product or creative management, operations, or a related field within the apparel industry
Must have a strong understanding of cross-functional product pipeline processes, calendar management, and creative team workflows
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong ability to articulate details and updates
Highly adaptable, solution-oriented, and proactive problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
A systems thinker who brings structure, clarity, and process discipline to complex workstreams
A collaborative partner who can balance creative needs with operational efficiency
Must have proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, with strong skills in Illustrator
Experience with Smartsheet and Lucid (or similar visualization and workflow tools) required
Preferred
Experience with Figma is a plus
Benefits
Health Insurance
Savings and Retirement Plan
Employee Assistance Program
Generous Vuori Discount & Industry Perks
Paid Time Off
Wellness & Fitness benefits
Company
Vuori
Vuori offers a collection of apparel brands for men and women.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1.27BKey Investors
SoftBank Vision FundNorwest
2024-11-08Secondary Market· $825M
2021-10-13Series Unknown· $400M
2019-08-15Series Unknown· $45M
Leadership Team
Joseph Kudla
Founder & CEO
Luis Alvarez
Vice President - Wholesale
Recent News
2025-12-13
2025-11-23
Company data provided by crunchbase