What are the responsibilities and job description for the Urban Outtfitters Associate Designer - Mens position at URBN (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie Group, Free People & Nuuly)?
Urban Outfitters is seeking an Associate Designer to join our Men’s Design Team. The Associate Designer is an integral creative who can navigate multiple categories, all while leveraging modern tools and creativity to push the boundaries of design.
As a brand ambassador and creative facilitator, the Associate Designer partners closely with cross-functional teams—including Buying, Product Development, and Print Color—to drive seasonal vision, identify white space opportunities, and respond to business trends in real time. They support by providing clear communication, constructive feedback, and development opportunities to their leaders while fostering a collaborative, positive, and solutions-oriented environment.
The Associate Designer supports the full design process—from concept, sketching, and fabric development through fittings, finalization, and seasonal presentations—while ensuring timelines are met and processes are continually optimized. With deep knowledge of trends, strong technical skills, and the ability to anticipate change, this role plays a pivotal part in shaping the UO aesthetic and driving the brand forward.
Role Responsibilities
JOB SKILLS
VISION
URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits
EEO Statement
URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.
As a brand ambassador and creative facilitator, the Associate Designer partners closely with cross-functional teams—including Buying, Product Development, and Print Color—to drive seasonal vision, identify white space opportunities, and respond to business trends in real time. They support by providing clear communication, constructive feedback, and development opportunities to their leaders while fostering a collaborative, positive, and solutions-oriented environment.
The Associate Designer supports the full design process—from concept, sketching, and fabric development through fittings, finalization, and seasonal presentations—while ensuring timelines are met and processes are continually optimized. With deep knowledge of trends, strong technical skills, and the ability to anticipate change, this role plays a pivotal part in shaping the UO aesthetic and driving the brand forward.
Role Responsibilities
JOB SKILLS
VISION
- Assists in interpretating seasonal fashion direction, assortment opportunities, and merchandise trends for category
- Ability to interpret trend for the UO customer and shares research and inspiration with direct reports and leads (social media, retail experience, street-style, competitive shopping and vintage exploration as it relates to the UO product)
- Brand ambassador and role model of our values
- Demonstrates a close connection to UO customer
- Works with design leads to execute creative vision in sample and presentation form
- Analyzing Velo metrics every Monday to understand business and sell through of product
- Works closely with Design lead and Buying partners to gain an understanding of financial reports and earnings as they relate to design production
- Maintaining and updating CADs for seasonal assortment in Adobe XD
- General understanding and awareness of overall fit, fabric and construction intentions
- Ability to investigates design solutions for projects with an awareness of cost, process, and impact on partners
- Supports Design lead throughout the design process by anticipating needs and assuming accountability for their contributions in the product cycle
- Maintain daily communication with cross-functional partners to ease any development issues that may arise
- Can independently anticipate and executes assignments and effectively manage up in a timely manner
- Develops well thought out comments and opinions using both POV and data to contribute during meetings
- Remains humble while receiving feedback openly and positively with a willingness to collaborate on ideas or processes that may require necessary changes
- Builds and sustains positive collaborative relationships with multi-level cross-functional partners
- Communicates and collaborates effectively both internally and with cross-functional partners and vendors to ensure product execution reflects design intent
- Takes responsibility for organizing their work, setting their own timelines and recognizing conditions and results that may impact the assignment
- Maintains courteous, professional email/phone and interpersonal relationships with cross-functional partners and vendors. Ability to format a professional and comprehensive email
- Demonstrates and maintain a strong knowledge of trends, customer and brand objectives as well as the UO design vision
- Ability to identify efficiencies within our processes and initiate opportunities to leverage assets, avoid redundancies, and proactively align resources
- Flexible, adaptable and responsive to fast-paced work environment while maintaining style and design vision integrity
- Sets up spec sheets for all bodies. Communicates fit and construction details to Technical Design department
- Actively participates, contributes, and assists Design lead in creating seasonal assortment
- Provides feedback / approves all samples and design submits
- Assist in preparing presentation materials for seasonal benchmark meetings such as Sketch Review, Finalization, and Print Color day
- Executing accurate fabric, trim, and wash information in design packs and tech packs
- 4 years of Design Experience preferred.
- Bachelor Degree in Fashion Design or related area of study strongly preferred.
- Strong knowledge of relevant fashion trends, customer behavior, and brand vision.
- Ability to balance creativity with business acumen, margin parameters, and process efficiencies.
- Strong hand and digital sketching ability
- Ability to independently conduct set-ups and fittings
- Adobe suite proficient
- Microsoft Office suite proficient
- AI prompting and generating for creative and presentation purpose (MJ, PromeAi, and ChatGPT)
- Treadstone and BOM maintenance
- Maintain organized and up to date line sheet and assortment tools at all time
- Highly organized with capacity to anticipate change
URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits
EEO Statement
URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.