Principal Designer

JR286 is seeking a bold, innovative Principal Designer to lead Dakine Equipment technical packs and travel accessories across Snow, Bike, and Surf. In this role, you will own the design of a wide range of outdoor products—including backpacks, bags, luggage, and equipment accessories—grounded in athlete insights, consumer research, and strong concept development. You will collaborate closely with Developers and Product Line Managers to deliver innovative, highly functional designs that push the future of action sports.

What You’ll Do 

• Lead the creative vision for your category, developing concepts and prototypes informed by athlete and consumer feedback.


• Collaborate with a team of designers to create brand-right concepts that become commercially viable product, balancing aesthetics, quality, and cost.


• Translate briefs and storytelling into innovative new products across assigned categories and product types.


• Participate in development trips to ensure design intent is executed throughout the product creation process.


• Manage your workload to keep projects on track and help ensure the team is balanced against key deadlines.


• Partner with the category PLM to define seasonal projects and align creative direction with business goals.


• Work with Product Development to establish seasonal innovation priorities and integrate relevant technologies into designs.


• Ensure design commerciality and adherence to target price points and product creation timelines.


• Mentor junior designers and help foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and craftsmanship. 


• Other duties as assigned.

What To Bring 

• 10+ years of Product Design/Industrial Design experience in the sporting goods or related industry; accessories experience is a plus.


• Proven ability to make sound, independent decisions in support of the team and brand.


• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design or related design discipline preferred.


• Advanced storytelling skills to clearly communicate design intent and project narratives.


• Strong sketching and rendering skills.


• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office; additional experience with tools such as Solidworks, Rhino, Maya 3D, Fusion 360, or Vizcom is a plus.


• Extensive knowledge of technical materials, construction methods, and manufacturing processes for both hard and soft goods.

 Additionally 

• Up to 15% travel required.


• Role is based at JR286 world headquarters in Torrance, CA 5 days per week.


• Full-time position with benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, life insurance, and more.


• Access to an on-site gym, company-sponsored lunches, and employee product discounts.