Design Manager and Creative Lead

Overview

Jack and Sage is a startup in the dynamic Outdoor Industry producing innovative apparel designed to evoke memories of experiences and brand engagement for our customers.

We are seeking candidates passionate for a challenge and an opportunity to make a big impact within a startup. We are looking for a Design Manager and Creative Lead with a passion for the outdoors and a keen eye for design aesthetics. This role leads our design function; owning creative direction, developing new prints and apparel graphics, and ensuring designs are production-ready from concept through manufacturing.

• Creative Direction & New Designs:
  Lead the development of new prints, graphics, and design concepts for our apparel, ensuring each design fits the Jack and Sage brand and target market.
• Bring new creative ideas to the CEO; collaborate with the COO to align on priorities, calendar, and resourcing; translate the CEO’s vision into commercially successful designs, collections, and graphic stories.
• Stay updated on industry trends and competitor analysis; evolve designs as trends shift while maintaining a consistent Jack and Sage point of view.
• Own the creative process from concept through final approval—iterating quickly and incorporating feedback with a positive, team-first attitude.
• Balance the creative pipeline across roughly 30% brand/seasonal work and 70% custom execution, ensuring custom deliverables remain on-brand and commercially strong.
• Contribute as an individual contributor on creating custom designs for customers.
• Manage and mentor the design team (2–4 direct reports), providing clear priorities, feedback, and professional development.
• Create repeatable workflows and standards (briefs, templates, file organization, naming conventions) to improve speed, quality, and consistency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align timelines, deliverables, and commercial objectives for core, seasonal, and custom programs.
• Production & Technical Ownership:
  Own and approve all tech packs and strike-offs—ensuring tech packs match approved creative mocks, and strike-offs match the tech pack specifications (color, scale, placement, repeat, and overall print/production quality).
• Serve as the most knowledgeable internal expert on what designs will and will not work on specific products and decoration methods (e.g., screen print, sublimation, digital print, embroidery, applique, knits vs. wovens).
• Partner with vendors/print houses to troubleshoot issues and drive solutions that protect design intent, quality, and timelines.
• Establish positive, and effective culture between multiple divisions who rely on design.
• Positive energy and attitude working with others; collaborative and open to constant feedback.
• Continuous improvement mindset: leverage technology to improve team efficiency, exploring tools, automation, and better systems for managing the creative pipeline.

• Required
  • 3+ years of apparel design and/or product development experience (graphics + production-ready files).
  • Exceptional skills with Adobe Illustrator.
  • Strong portfolio showcasing creative and innovative apparel design work (prints/graphics) and production-ready outputs.
  • Deep knowledge of print and embellishment methods and the practical limitations of different fabrics and product categories (knits vs. wovens, placement, repeat, color, etc.).
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills; able to take direction, incorporate feedback, and align work to the Founder’s vision.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and organization.
  • Thrives in a start-up environment juggling multiple projects in parallel.
  • Must currently live in the Denver, CO metro area. We are not considering remote candidates or relocation.
• Preferred
  • Experience in apparel industry
  • Experience working with a small company / startup.
  • Experience improving team workflows using technology and process design.