Assistant Designer - China bei Haddad Brands

Haddad is a privately held family business with 100 years’ experience in the children’s apparel & accessories industry. A leader in the children’s wear industry, Haddad Brands is the exclusive global licensee for the most iconic brands in the world, which include Nike, Jordan, Converse, Hurley, Levi’s, Polo, Abercrombie and Fitch, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Huggies. Supported by a team of professionals skilled in design, sourcing, production, sales, marketing & distribution of premium quality children’s wear, Haddad distributes globally to 100+ countries and maintains sales and sourcing offices in 22 cities globally, including New York, Paris, Hilversum, Shanghai, Egypt, Bangkok, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, London and Montreal  

Overview: 

The Assistant Designer will work cross-functionally with the Design, Graphics, Sales, and Merchandising teams to support the development and sample approval process of seasonal apparel collections. This role also serves as a key liaison between the New York Office (NYO) and the China Office, ensuring clear, efficient, and timely communication across regions.

 Key Responsibilities:

• Present seasonal concept sketches and sample collections developed by the HBC team to the NYO and Corporate teams.
• Coordinate and schedule key meetings to ensure seasonal timelines align with the overall product development calendar between HDC and NYO.
• Act as the primary liaison between the New York and China teams to ensure clear, accurate, and timely communication throughout the design and sample approval process.
• Distribute initial seasonal direction—including concepts, color palettes, sketches, tech packs, BOMs, Illustrator/Photoshop files, fabric swatches, and line sheets—from NYO and Corporate to the China team.
• Partner with management to review design submissions from the China team (including colors, assortments, fabrics, trims, and samples), gather feedback, update presentation decks, and share necessary files or alternate design options with NYO.
• Ensure all presentation decks and shared materials are complete, accurate, and aligned with brand standards before being submitted for review.
• Facilitate packaging approvals and assist in managing communication and follow-ups between NYO and the China team as needed.
• Receive, organize, and maintain all seasonal samples—including fit samples and salesman samples—and archive them by season. (Samples may be shipped directly to the Assistant Designer rather than NYO.)
• Coordinate the sending of reference samples, fabric swatches, and color cards to the China office; order additional color cards when needed (expenses billed to HDC).
• Provide supporting design assets—such as enlarged artwork, trims, graphics, and fabric swatches—for internal and Corporate presentations upon request.
• Assign style numbers for China-developed items and assist with tracking and verifying product data throughout the development process.
• Attend Corporate meetings, take detailed notes, and follow up on key action items.
• Support cross-functional projects and special initiatives as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design or a related field
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required; Chinese is a plus.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.)
• Strong organizational, communication, and presentation skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to design within a brand-appropriate aesthetic
• Ability to sketch clear, brand-right designs both digitally and by hand