The North Face: Associate Designer, Color Palette Creation

The North Face

Denver, CO · HybridFull-time$60–76K/yrPosted 1w agoStill listed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$60–76K/yr
Location
Denver, COHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

The Associate Designer, Color Palette Creation translates cultural, consumer, outdoor, and trend inspiration into color concepts for The North Face products. The role supports seasonal research and palette development, applies approved color direction to product CADs or croquis, and prepares materials for reviews and presentations. It works with the design team across Snow, Climb, Trail, and lifestyle product areas on a hybrid schedule in Denver.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Trend ResearchMarket ResearchColor TheoryConsumer Color TrendsColor ConceptsColor Palette ApplicationCADsCroquisConcept IdeationMood BoardsVisual StorytellingSeasonal Design ProcessAdobe Creative SuiteFigmaMicrosoft OfficeAttention to DetailOrganizationTeam CollaborationFlexibilityWillingness to Learn

Qualifications

1+ Years Relevant Experience

Full job description

Every season at The North Face starts with a story, and color helps bring that story to life! As the Associate Designer, Color Palette Creation, you’ll turn inspiration from culture, consumers, the outdoors, and emerging trends into color concepts that move across our product. From building mood boards and seasonal palettes to applying color to CADs, you’ll work with a collaborative design team to help shape how The North Face shows up across Snow, Climb, Trail, and lifestyle. Bring your curiosity, creative eye, and passion for color, and help us inspire exploration through every shade.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

  • Support the design team with seasonal trend and market research, concept ideation, and color design application.
  • Assist in the creation of color palettes, mood boards, color decks, and seasonal tools, working closely with and under the direction of the Design Manager.
  • Apply approved color direction to product CADs and/or croquis across assigned product areas.
  • Preparing materials for seasonal milestones, reviews, and presentations.
  • Bridge your understanding of The North Face brand aesthetic through our consumers, product categories, and color strategy.
  • Develop foundational knowledge of the design process, tools, systems, and key milestones while building strong cross-functional partnerships.
  • You bring curiosity, attention to detail, and a passion for learning, actively contributing to team reviews, workshops, and creative discussions.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and grow. While formal education in a related field is great to have, we are most interested in your 1–2 years of relevant experience, including internships or professional experience, within color, design, or product creation.

  • 1–2 years of relevant experience in color, trend, design, or product creation, ideally within apparel, footwear, equipment, or accessories.
  • Exposure to trend and market research across performance and/or lifestyle products.
  • Foundational understanding of color theory, consumer color trends, and color concepts.
  • Experience applying color palettes to CADs and/or croquis.
  • Familiarity with concept ideation, mood boards, and visual storytelling.
  • Exposure to the seasonal design process and working toward key milestones and deadlines.
  • Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite; experience with Figma and Microsoft Office is a plus.
  • Strong attention to detail, organization, and willingness to learn.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively within a team and across functions.
  • Flexibility and a positive mindset toward change.
  • A passion for Snow, Climb, Trail, and lifestyle product.

This role operates on a hybrid schedule out of our HQ in Denver, CO three days a week.

Hiring Range: $60,480.00 USD - $75,600.00 USD annually Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. VF will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

How this job compares

Set against the 752 open Product Design jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$60–76K/yr
  • US median$161–236K/yr530 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $68K, is 65% below the US median midpoint ($195K) — in the lowest quarter of Product Design salary ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 15 open Product Design jobs in Colorado and 752 across the US. 8% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most across the US
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Product Design postings that state a minimum ask for (median 7 years, across 538 postings).
Education
193 of the 752 open Product Design jobs (26%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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