CMF Design Manager- Soft Goods

Job : 9037

Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action:
Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day.

We are looking for a talented design leader to help drive fashion application across our portfolio. As a CMF Design Manager
- Soft Goods
, you will lead a team of designers while contributing hands‑on to creating compelling, consumer‑centered solutions. You'll combine trends and consumer insights with strong executional skills, guiding the integration of Gen AI and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency, creativity, and impact.

You’ll oversee Fashion Design for our global Baby brands. Collaborating with soft goods designers, industrial designers, usability experts, and engineers, you will shape and refine design strategies from concept through production. You will mentor, critique and establish future design direction for core product collections. Building customer relationships will be key to realizing exceptional consumer experiences for next‑generation products.

• Lead the end‑to‑end design process for baby gear, ensuring products balance fashion aesthetics, consumer trends, safety, and functional performance.

• Develop seasonal design direction, color/material/finish (CMF) strategy, and trend‑right palettes for soft goods, trims, and textiles across baby gear categories.

• Partner with Soft Goods Design, Industrial Design, Engineering, and Brand Marketing to ensure cohesive product storytelling and alignment with brand identity.

• Translate consumer insights and market research into compelling fashion‑driven designs that enhance consumer appeal and brand differentiation.

• Build and present mood boards, trend forecasts, and concept presentations to cross‑functional stakeholders and leadership.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of design assets within development timelines.

• Collaborate with suppliers and vendors on material sourcing, fabric development, and print execution to ensure quality and manufacturability.

• Review prototypes and production samples to maintain design integrity and meet standards.

• Guide, mentor, and develop a team of designers to drive creativity, innovation, and growth.

• Champion sustainability and innovation by exploring eco‑friendly fabrics, finishes, and processes.

• Ensure all designs comply with regulatory requirements and product safety standards specific to juvenile products.

• Maintain awareness of competitive landscape and fashion industry influences to keep Newell baby brands trend‑relevant and competitive.

• Partner with brand marketing and sales teams to provide fashion direction.

• Minimum:
  Bachelor's degree in Fashion, CMF, Industrial Design, or related design field.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate or consulting design.

• Expert color acuity; can identify & reference frequently used colors within fashion palette.

• Ability to travel at least once per quarter.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Advanced People Management cultivating high‑performance culture through clear expectations, tailored coaching, and career development while championing diversity and managing workload effectively.

• Strategic Thinking translating business strategy into fashion design direction by identifying opportunities and championing bold concepts that drive differentiation and growth. Critical thinking with Gen AI.

• Advanced Aesthetic Sensibilities mastery in pattern, color, material, and finish. Aligns aesthetic paradigms with brand identity while managing biases for commercial impact.

• Champions Consumer Empathy through trend‑aligned designs informed by insights embedded in workflows, ensuring decisions reflect trends and user needs.

• Drives Trend Alignment through comprehensive global research, synthesizing findings into…