Design Coordinator at Velvet Graham & Spencer

Design Coordinator at Velvet by Graham & Spencer

We are seeking a highly organized, detail‑oriented Design Operations Coordinator to support the Design Team. This person will serve as the central hub — tracking styles from inception through Salesman Samples (SMS), managing the Time & Action calendar, coordinating with factories, and facilitating smooth hand‑offs between creative, production, and wholesale/showroom teams. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast‑paced fashion environment, juggling overlapping seasonal calendars and multiple stakeholders while ensuring deadlines are met and samples/products are tracked, stored, and delivered on time.

• Time & Action / Calendar Management
• Build, update, and maintain the Time & Action (T&A) / style‑tracking spreadsheet or calendar from concept through SMS, production, and showroom delivery.
• Monitor and manage all key milestones (design hand‑off, proto samples, SMS arrival, factory assignments, showroom drop, etc.).
• Proactively alert relevant teams when deadlines are at risk and help coordinate contingency plans.
• Style Tracking & Sample Coordination
• Track each style through development stages: concept → proto → SMS → bulk → finished goods. Maintain accurate records of which factories are assigned to which styles.
• When SMS arrives, coordinate receipt, QA check (with design/tech team if needed), and liaise with Wholesale / Showroom teams to ensure timely distribution and setup.
• Maintain a well‑organized sample room or design‑room environment, including documentation of sample history, hand‑offs, returns, and storage.
• Act as the main point of contact between Design, Technical Design, Product Development, Production, and Wholesale/Showroom teams. Facilitate communication, coordinate hand‑offs, and ensure alignment on deadlines, sample status, and deliverables.
• Help coordinate with domestic and international factories, vendors, and suppliers as needed (for SMS, bulk production, trims/fabrics, etc.) — ensuring clarity on timelines, quality standards, and expectations.
• Seasonal Calendar & Capacity Management
• Oversee overlapping seasonal development calendars; ensure no conflicts and that all styles across seasons are properly scheduled and tracked.
• Help prioritize workload, manage overlapping deadlines, and maintain visibility on season‑to‑season transitions.
• Design Room / Sample Room Management & Documentation Control
• Maintain organization of the design/sample room — ensuring all product (fabrics, trims, samples, tech packs, SMS, bulk, etc.) is well documented, easily retrievable, and accurately logged.
• Ensure all documentation (style sheets, factory assignments, sample history, approvals, deadlines) is up‑to‑date, accessible, and audited regularly.
• Support Wholesale & Showroom Coordination
• Upon SMS or bulk arrival, coordinate logistics with Wholesale / Showroom team to deliver product on time.
• Help prepare and send out showroom drops: ensure samples/products are organized, labeled, packaged as needed, and shipped timely.
• Problem‑Solving, Follow‑Through & Continuous Improvement
• Identify potential bottlenecks, delays, or risks (e.g., factory delays, sample re‑works, overlapping deadlines) — elevate issues or help coordinate solutions.
• Suggest and implement process improvements to streamline style tracking, sample flow, calendar management, and cross‑team coordination.

• 3–5 years (or more) experience in fashion/apparel design operations, product development, production coordination, or sample room/atelier coordination (or equivalent). Roles like Product Development Coordinator, Production Coordinator, or Fashion Operations Coordinator at contemporary apparel brands preferred.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail. Ability to manage many moving parts — multiple styles, factories, deadlines, and teams — simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to liaise with designers, technical design, production, factories (domestic and international), and wholesale/showroom teams.
• Strong proficiency with spreadsheet tools (Excel / Google Sheets) and calendar management; familiar with Time & Action…