Urban Outfitters Associate Creative Director - Mens

At Urban Outfitters, we don’t just follow the zeitgeist—we define it. As the Men’s Associate Creative Director  you are a critical architect of the UO brand narrative. This is a role for a well-rounded creative powerhouse who "has it all": impeccable taste, compelling experience, and an infectious energy.

You are a proactive visionary with a refined commercial radar, responsible for translating global cultural shifts into high-conviction product collections. You don’t just design clothes; you curate an identity. We need a creative collaborator who understands the Men’s customer—how they think, what they see, and where they show up—and has the drive to constantly surprise them. This position is a prime opportunity for an experienced Senior Designer to step into a Director-level role, leading with confidence and a "Master Filter" for style, trend, and color.

Strategic Narrative & Brand Evolution

• The Master Filter: Synthesize global research, subcultures, and street style into high-conviction seasonal themes. Act as the "Editor-in-Chief" of Men’s trend, ensuring the team is inspired by a focused, authoritative viewpoint.
• Challenging the Narrative: Constantly push the brand’s boundaries. You are responsible for evolving the UO aesthetic, ensuring we remain relevant while consistently surprising our global community.
• Customer Empathy: Maintain a borderline-obsessive understanding of the UO Men’s muse. Translate their digital and physical lifestyle into a cohesive, 360-degree product vision.

Leadership, Mentorship & Presence

• In-Person Collaboration: Maintain a consistent physical presence at the home office to collaborate directly with top executives, reading the brand’s pulse and building consensus behind a unified vision.
• Team Elevation: Lead and develop a high-performing design team. You are a dedicated mentor, responsible for elevating your team’s "curation eye" and transitioning them from researchers into strategic, high-output creative thinkers.
• Cultural Role Model: Foster a proactive, "we-focused" environment. Mentor the team to "find work" and seek solutions during down cycles, maintaining high morale and professional interpersonal relationships.

Concept to Product Creation

• Collection Architecture: Oversee the transition from seasonal concept to physical product. Ensure that the foundational "Why" of the season is reflected in every silhouette, fabric choice, and wash.
• Signature Handwriting: Bring a strong personal design handwriting to the table, using your "radar" for what’s new to influence graphic layouts, garment construction, and emerging fits.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee the team’s visual output—including AI (Midjourney) and CAD visualizations—ensuring all materials and tech packs are sophisticated, professional, and proprietary.

Process & Data Integration

• Rigorous Project Management: Own the "Critical Path" for the Men’s Design department. Drive the creative cycle timeline to ensure every milestone is met, preventing downstream bottlenecks for Buying and Production.

Data-Responsive Vision: Proactively respond to sales hindsights. Use data to validate successful trends or strategically pivot the vision, ensuring the collection is as profitable as it is beautiful.

• 7+ years in fashion design and creative direction, specifically within the streetwear, youth culture, or contemporary Men’s market.
• 3–5 years in a formal people management role, with a proven track record of elevating and inspiring a design team.
• Executive Influence: A proven ability to influence stakeholders in an on-site, collaborative setting.
• Technical Mastery: Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite. Advanced experience using AI tools (Midjourney) and 3D design (CLO3D) to rapidly prototype and present concepts.
• Commercial Grit: A deep understanding of garment construction, technical specification writing, and the "Critical Path" of a global retail calendar.

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

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.