Insomniac - Director, Apparel & Accessories Design - Consumer Products - Motorsports

Job Summary:

WHO ARE YOU?

Are you passionate about consumer products and motorsports? Do you thrive in apparel and accessories design? Then you’re in luck! We are looking for a seasoned, creative, and collaborative design leader who can flex across apparel design, product strategy, trend direction, and cross-functional execution. Is this you? Read on… 

WHO ARE WE?

Insomniac produces some of the most innovative, immersive music festivals and events in the world. Enhanced by state-of-the-art lighting, pyrotechnics and sound design, large-scale art installations, theatrical performers and next generation special effects, our events captivate the senses and inspire a unique level of fan interaction.  The quality of the Headliner experience is our top priority.

Insomniac produces 10,000 concerts, club nights and festivals for seven million attendees annually across the globe. Since its inception, Insomniac's events have taken place in 13 countries across five continents. The company's premiere annual event, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, is the world’s largest dance music festival and attracts more than 525,000 fans over three days. The company was founded by Pasquale Rotella and has been based in Los Angeles since it was formed in 1993.

Insomniac is expanding its presence into motorsports apparel and merchandise, working with leading global brands and partners to create products that bring together the worlds of music, motorsport, and culture. 

THE ROLE

Insomniac is looking for a Director, Apparel & Accessories Design- Consumer Products - Motorsports to lead the creative direction, design organization and execution of apparel and accessories across the Consumer Products - Motorsports portfolio. This role establishes the functional design strategy and operating direction for multiple product categories, seasonal collections and consumer opportunities, translating brand direction, consumer insights, and market trends into compelling global products with locally relevant narratives.

The Director leads design management and apparel, accessories and graphic designers. The role is accountable for team performance, creative quality, talent development, resource allocation, design-process effectiveness, and cross-functional delivery. Partnering closely with Product Line Management, Product Development, Merchandising, Marketing, and external partners, the Director ensures collections are commercially relevant, technically feasible, on brand, and delivered on time. 

The position reports to the SVP, Consumer Products - Motorsports. This is a full time, on site position with work at events and approximately 30% domestic and international travel.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Creative and Functional Leadership

• Establish and execute the near-and medium-term creative direction, design strategy, and operating plan for Consumer Products - Motorsports decision apparel and accessories portfolio
• Lead design direction across multiple product categories, ensuring collections reflect brand strategy, target-consumer needs, key seasonal concepts, geographic assortment needs, and commercial objectives
• Translate consumer insights, cultural trends, market intelligence, and brand direction into clear seasonal creative frameworks, category strategies, and design priorities
• Set and uphold standards for premium craft, product storytelling, material and color direction, it, silhouette, technical innovation and execution quality
• Champion authentic product narratives and clearly communicate the strategic and consumer rationale behind design decisions to senior leadership, cross-functional partners, and external stakeholders
• Maintain awareness of relevant cultural, sport, fashion and lifestyle trends; apply insights to create differentiated and consumer-relevant product

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Directly manage the design management and a team of designers; establish clear goals, performance expectations, development plans, and accountability for creative and operational outcomes
• Lead the design management to set team priorities, allocate work, monitor capacity, and ensure consistent delivery across design workstreams
• Recruit, onboard, coach, develop and retain design talent; build succession plans and future capacity for the function
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high performing creative culture that encourages curiosity, innovation, constructive feedback and accountability
• Provide senior creative guidance, coaching and decision support on complex product, trend, aesthetic, fit, material and execution challenges
• Establish scalable design processes, team rituals, documentation, and quality standards that enable consistent execution as the function grows

Seasonal Design and Product Execution

• Lead the creation and execution of seasonal apparel and accessories collections from concept through prototype review, final sample approval, and go to market readiness
• Partner with product line management to establish seasonal design toolboxes, product briefs, design slots, category direction, and product creation priorities
• Guide development of color, material, functionality, fit, proportion, silhouette, graphic and styling direction across the assortment
• Ensure designs balance consumer appeal, brand expression, quality, technical feasibility, margin requirements, and production realities
• Oversee prototype development, fittings, sample reviews, and design revisions; partner with product development to finalize production details and resolve quality or feasibility issues
• Lead design reviews and creative decision points, ensuring timely approvals and alignment across collections and categories
• Create and manage design calendar, deliverables and dependencies; resolve execution risks and keep multiple seasonal workstreams on track

Cross-Functional, Vendor, and Business Partnership

• Partner with product line management, product development, merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and finance to align creative direction with product strategy, consumer needs, margin targets and go to market plans
• Collaborate with external vendors and manufacturing partners on pre-development, material exploration, technical innovation, and product-execution requirements
• Provide senior design presentation in product, assortment, commercialization, and executive planning discussions
• Communicate design vision, collection, direction, risks, and recommendations effectively to internal teams, senior leadership, and external partners
• Develop functional resources and capacity plans, including staffing, freelance, external creative, and vendor needs, in partnership with leadership
• Identify and implement improvements to design workflows, tools, systems, and cross-functional ways of working to improve speed, quality, and creative consistency
• Lead additional strategic design, product, and organizational initiatives as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in fashion design, apparel design, product design, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience
• 10+ years of progressively responsible apparel and accessories design experience design experience within the apparel, sportswear, lifestyle, or consumer-products industry
• 5+ years of direct people-leadership experience, including managing and developing design professionals and at least one people manager or senior design direct report
• Demonstrated experience establishing creative direction and leading multiple apparel or accessories categories through seasonal concept, design, development and commercialization
• Extensive expertise in apparel materials, garment construction, outerwear functionality, fit, technical design, tech packs, schematic development, and sample execution across lifestyle and performance products
• Strong collection-building and assortment-design capability, including the ability to translate consumer and market insights into cohesive product narratives across color, silhouette, material, graphics and key looks
• Demonstrated ability to lead design teams through complex, multi-category calendars while balancing creative ambition, consumer relevance, financial goals, quality, and execution requirements
• Experience partnering effectively with product line management, product development, merchandising, marketing, and domestic and international vendors or manufacturers
• Proven ability to develop talent, build high-performing teams, manage performance, and create effective design processes and operating rhythms
• Strong strategic thinking, decision-making, presentation, communication, relationship building, and problem solving skills
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, 3D design, and AI-powered rendering software
• Experience thriving in high-growth, evolving environments, with the ability to build structure, manage ambiguity, and lead multiple complex creative priorities
• Knowledge of motorsport, sport, or lifestyle consumer segments is preferred
• Valid passport and willingness to travel approximately 30%, including international travel

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Must be willing to travel to work during holidays, evening and weekend hours, as required, to meet deadlines.
• Must be able to tolerate loud noise levels and drastic temperature climates while working on site at various event locations. 
• Must be able to work in open concept office space.

Applicants for employment in the U.S. must possess work authorization, which does not require sponsorship by Insomniac for a visa.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

We aspire to build teams that reflect and support the fans and artists we serve. Every day we aim to promote environments where everyone can be themselves, contribute fully, and thrive within our company and at our events. As a growing business we will encourage you to develop your professional and personal aspirations, enjoy new experiences, and learn from the talented people you will be working with. 

Insomniac strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of age (40 and over), ancestry, color, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), family and medical care leave or the denial of family and medical care leave, mental or physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), marital status, domestic partner status, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, military and veteran status, political affiliation, national origin (including language use restrictions), citizenship, race, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, and gender expression, sexual orientation, intersectionality, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law, rule, ordinance or regulation. 

We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act and consistent with other similar and / or applicable laws in other areas.

We also afford equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability. For this reason, Insomniac will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant consistent with its legal obligations to do so, including reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy in accordance with applicable local, state and / or federal law. As part of its commitment to make reasonable accommodations, Insomniac also wishes to participate in a timely, good faith, interactive process with a disabled applicant to determine effective reasonable accommodations, if any, which can be made in response to a request for accommodations. Applicants are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should contact a Human Resources Representative to request the opportunity to participate in a timely interactive process.  Insomniac will also provide reasonable religious accommodations on a case-by-case basis.

HIRING PRACTICES

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Insomniac recruitment policies are designed to place the most highly qualified persons available in a timely and efficient manner. Insomniac may pursue all avenues available, including promotion from within, employee referrals, outside advertising, employment agencies, internet recruiting, job fairs, college recruiting and search firms.

Please note that the compensation information provided is a good faith estimate for this position only and is provided pursuant to the California Salary Transparency in Job Advertisements Law. It is estimated based on what a successful California applicant might be paid. It assumes that the successful candidate will be in California or perform the position from California. Similar positions located outside of California will not necessarily receive the same compensation. Insomniac takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, as well as the position’s work location, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the California Law, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Live Nation Entertainment will never request payment or equipment purchases as part of the hiring process. Recruiters will only contact candidates from official Live Nation or affiliated brand email domains.