Northstar Senior Designer - Kids Footwear

Bata Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and retailers of quality footwear. A global concern with more than 30,000 employees, 24 production facilities, over 5,000 stores in more than 70 countries across the globe, Bata has been providing the best shoes at the best prices, backed by unparalleled service, for 120 years.

Since its founding in 1894 by Thomas Bata, the company has consistently demonstrated its commitment to responsible and innovative business models in the belief that capital is not just money, buildings, or technology, but, more importantly, people, knowledge, and core values. This visionary approach has enabled the company to meet each new challenge with creativity and foresight, while earning the trust and confidence of customers, employees, and the communities in which it does business.

Today, Bata's pioneering decentralized production system, featuring semi-autonomous regional facilities guided by three regional business units, allows the company to quickly adapt to changes in the marketplace and seize potential growth opportunities. It also continues Bata's long tradition of being sensitive to cultural and national differences and enables it to proudly function as a local company in every country it serves.

Bata Brand SA

Bata is the leading international company in the footwear market and is present on five continents. The different continents are represented by five business units. Each business unit is organized according to the specificities of each country. Bata Global headquarters are based out of Avenue d'Ouchy 61, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland.

About Northstar

Northstar is a modern athleisure footwear brand positioned at the intersection of sport credibility, everyday comfort, and elevated design. The brand is built around the idea of the “Unreasonably Good Shoe” — footwear that looks refined enough for daily urban wear, yet delivers performance-grade comfort, durability, and fit. Within Bata's brand portfolio, Northstar brings this positioning across its footwear ranges — from everyday essentials to purpose-built performance styles.

Description of the Role

Reporting to the VP Global Design, and leading the Kids design team within Northstar's Global Design organization, the Senior Designer – Kids Footwear is responsible for the development of seasonal collections that bring Northstar's design vision and brand DNA to life for the Kids category.

This role requires an experienced, technically strong designer with a confident point of view on trends, materials, safety, and consumer needs relevant to Kids footwear. The Senior Designer takes ownership of the Kids collection, guiding the Designer and Junior Designer, Kids Footwear, across product families and design deliverables within the wider Kids collection.

Each season, the Senior Designer leads the development of a successful Kids collection in keeping with the spirit of quality, safety, and innovation that defines Northstar, overseeing designs, sketches, and technical specifications that are handed off to Prototyping, Sourcing, and Product Development.

Success in this role requires strong attention to detail and the judgment to connect design decisions to commercial outcomes, working within Northstar's brand guidelines while ensuring age-appropriate fit, safety requirements, and sensitivity to the diversity of markets, cultures, and consumers Northstar serves.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of Northstar's Kids seasonal collection — styles, silhouettes, and playful colourways — in close collaboration with the Designer, Colours & Materials, and guiding the Designer and Junior Designer, Kids Footwear.
• Oversee the production of sketches, technical drawings, and design specifications that translate collection direction into production-ready designs, incorporating age/size segmentation and safety requirements.
• Own the Kids collection plan each season, incorporating sales and consumer insight analysis, including parent and child feedback, where relevant.
• Guide stylists and modelists on the development of Kids styles, ensuring design intent and fit and safety integrity are respected through to sample and production stages.
• Lead pricing and margin discussions for the Kids collection, ensuring designs are commercially viable and aligned with market positioning.
• Drive competitor studies and market trend monitoring relevant to Kids footwear, sharing insights with the VP Global Design and wider team.
• Lead prototype development and feasibility reviews for Kids styles, liaising with the studio and, where needed, Legal Affairs on model registration and children's product safety compliance.
• Ensure visual and brand consistency for the Kids collection across internal design and communication tools.
• Lead the preparation of sales support and sales training materials for the Kids collection, in liaison with the Business Development team.
• Represent the Kids collection in brief previews and subsidiary/regional reviews.
• Mentor and develop the Designer and Junior Designer, Kids Footwear, supporting their growth and day-to-day design output.

Reporting

• VP Global Design – Northstar (direct)

Profile & Leadership Attributes

Work Experience

The ideal candidate brings:

• 6 to 8 years' experience as a Designer within the footwear, fashion, or lifestyle environment, with proven experience in Kids or family product categories.
• Strong technical design skills, including sketching and technical specification, with deep working knowledge of materials, construction, and children's footwear safety standards, and the ability to collaborate effectively with the Colours & Materials team.
• Strong product and quality judgment, with rigor and attention to detail across the design and development process.
• Fashion sense and creativity, with a proven ability to analyse, formalize, and present design ideas in a proposal-driven way, balanced with strong understanding of age-appropriate design.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to guide junior designers and collaborate effectively with Merchandising, Product Development, Product Line Management, and Prototyping.
• Strong interest in trend intelligence, competitor activity, and consumer insight — including parent and child perspectives — and how these translate into design decisions.
• Comfortable working within global brand guidelines, with the confidence to make informed design decisions and represent the Kids category to senior stakeholders.

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Language Proficiency

• English (Fluent)

Conditions of Employment

• On-site

Location

• Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Why Work at BATA

People are at the heart of what we do. From the consumers and customers we serve to the communities in which we operate, to the employees who drive our success year after year. Through our CSR programs, volunteering, and philanthropy, we deepen our connections with the company, our colleagues, and the communities in which we operate.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, generous benefits and a respect for work-life balance form the foundation of what we offer at Bata. We then go the extra mile to train and equip our employees to make the most of the opportunities available to them. We provide industry-leading development programs to foster a Culture of teamwork, Integrity and Excellence in everything we do. As a global brand, we value diversity and mobility, encouraging our people to pursue positions in new regions that will help them grow professionally and personally. Our multicultural leadership team is representative of this commitment and our brand's international footprint. Joining Bata means joining a company where you can have an impact, where you can shape the future of a global footwear organization — including our Northstar brand.

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