Art Department Manager/Graphic Designer/Illustrator

Art Department Manager/Graphic Designer/Illustrator – Sports Apparel & Graphic Design in South Bellevue.

We are seeking an Art Department Manager to manage our creative team. In this role, you will be overseeing our art department teams. Including design and art Production departments.

Northwest Designs Ink has been doing business in the sporting event design, printing and staffing industry in the United States, Canada for over 35 years. Creating thousands of Designs for the most prestigious Youth, High School State & National Championships in the Nation. Today, Northwest Designs is the exclusive Championship merchandiser for the NFHS, 33 NFHS High School State Associations/Affiliate Associations, and 8 NCAA Conferences as their exclusive event merchandiser.

Core Responsibilities

*Team Leadership. Mentor, guide and manage a team of design and production artists.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

*Partner closely with sales, printing and art production team departments to streamline workflows

Brand Integrity

*Ensure all custom apparel graphics adhere to brand standards and production specifications.

Required Skills and Qualifications Experience

*Minimum of 5+ years of department management experience. T-Shirt decoration design for sports graphics a plus.

Technical Mastery

* Expert proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Illustrator, Photoshop knowledge a plus) along with a strong understanding of apparel decoration technology and graphic production.

Software & Technical Knowledge

* Strong Microsoft 365 skills, including Excel, Outlook, Microsoft Lists, Planner, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

* Strong spreadsheet, data organization, reporting, and project tracking skills.

* Experience with Microsoft Power Automate or similar workflow automation is a plus.

Industry Knowledge

*Deep familiarity with current sportswear trends, athletic consumer behavior, and sports culture.

Leadership & Execution

* Proven track record of managing employees, project timelines, and guiding junior talent.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, analytical, comfortable working with large amounts of data, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced production environment

To Apply

Please submit your resume along with a link to your portfolio highlighting relevant apparel graphics, branding, or sportswear design work.

Compensation and Benefits

Employment Type: Full-time SalaryPaid Holidays after 90 daysMedical Benefits after 90 daysJob Type: Full-time

Pay: $55,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Health insurancePaid time offWork Location: In person