Senior Color Designer

ABOUT US

Stio® is an omni-channel mountain brand that designs, develops and sells beautiful, functional, and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories infused with the soul of the mountain lifestyle. With headquarters in Jackson, Wyoming, Stio draws inspiration from the surrounding Teton Range and offers product via Stio.com, catalog, B2B and its Mountain Studio® retail locations.

We live and love mountain life, and as such see ourselves as caretakers of the resources that provide it. We are proud partners of Protect Our Winters and the Conservation Alliance among many other organizations. We have a strong preferred materials platform, use Bluesign® approved textiles wherever possible, audit our supply chains for best practices, and operate our workplaces responsibly.

We think that outside is the best side and that you can’t improve on nature. It’s good for mind, body and soul, and it’s our responsibility to help enable access for all people, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, background or ability. We strive for inclusion at Stio and in our local and national communities.

YOUR ROLE

As a Senior Color Designer at Stio, you purposefully lead and apply design thinking through the lens of color to elevate the brand across Product, Merchandising, and Creative storytelling.

You are the visionary behind seasonal color direction, drawing from industry trends, consumer insights, competitive research, and product end use. Collaborating closely with internal stakeholders, you inform line planning and merchandising strategies to ensure cohesive and elevated color application across all product categories.

Guided by Stio’s mission to craft high-quality products that celebrate the authentic mountain lifestyle, you bring thoughtful intention to every hue, palette, and material. Your work enhances not just the aesthetic, but also the performance and emotional connection of each product.

With clear and professional communication, you articulate seasonal color concepts, themes, and palette strategy to Product Development, Technical Design, Merchandising, and Go-To-Market teams. You ensure color integrity and consistency throughout the entire product lifecycle-from initial concept through final execution-helping to shape retail storytelling and brand identity across all channels. This role is based on-site at our Jackson Hole HQ.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Utilize color and trend forecasting services and actively engage in outdoor and adjacent industry tradeshows to stay ahead of market shifts and ensure brand relevance through innovative color application
• Collect physical and visual research-including photos, swatches, reports, and material samples-to support seasonal color palettes and inform brand-right color direction

  Collaborate with Product Line Management (PLM) and Merchandizing to ensure seasonal color strategies support the intended end use, audience, and overall aesthetic of the product line

• Curate mood boards, palette inspiration, and reference materials to brief external color design partners and internal development teams, clearly defining seasonal color direction and application
• Gather and analyze trend and market data across outdoor, fashion, and adjacent industries to build seasonal color palettes that reflect the Stio aesthetic-striking a balance between forward-thinking color direction and commercially viable core offerings
• Oversee and manage the seasonal contract labor budget specific to color design services and external support needs
• Partner with Materials team to troubleshoot material or color application issues, ensuring accurate execution through lab dips, strike-offs, and thorough product review
• Lead the seasonal strategy for yarn-dyed textiles and printed materials, aligning layout and palette choices with merchandising and storytelling goals
• Partner with Apparel Design to select and execute seasonal prints and yarn dyes that align with overarching color and merchandising strategy
• Work with internal and external graphic designers to develop color-consistent graphic applications for inline and private label products
• Contribute to brand storytelling by influencing seasonal creative direction through color mood, conceptual palettes, and visual inspiration to support broader brand expression across product and marketing
• Create cohesive seasonal collections with clear color stories and families that merchandise effectively across product lines; build compelling presentation tools to communicate these narratives to cross-functional partners and leadership.
• Lead and manage the color design team by strategically allocating seasonal responsibilities, fostering collaboration across product categories, and ensuring cohesive execution of color direction through clear communication and cross-functional partnership
• Manage seasonal color development calendars, ensuring all milestones, reviews, and handoffs are met on time to support on-track product development and go-to-market timelines

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• BFA or higher in apparel, graphic or print design
• 4+ years professional color design experience
• Specific training or education in color theory
• Execution of color merchandising strategy
• Capable of managing next level contributors and subordinates
• Understanding and proficiency in the full product lifecycle
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to present their work and thought process to various levels of leadership
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite

THE FINE PRINT

• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Company Paid Long Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Programs
• 401k with Match
• Generous paid time off policies
• Gear test, perks and more

We provide competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives and benefits. The base salary range for this role is $85,000-$100,000. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of the range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.

This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, we reserve the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed. Stio is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals, including minorities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans & individuals with disabilities.