Job Description

Lead Apparel Product Designer

Location: Hybrid: Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN  Reports to: CEO  Type: Full-Time  Travel: Occasional

About Three Nails

Sportswear with Purpose.™

Three Nails is the fastest growing, faith-driven activewear brand on a mission to inspire individuals to discover their God-given purpose and pursue it every day. Founded by a Christian athlete in 2017, our brand fuses mission and excellence. We obsess over product quality, thoughtful design, and community-first innovation—delivering gear that can withstand your toughest training and reflect what you stand for.

We’re a lean, passionate team operating at the intersection of performance and purpose, with a strong DTC presence, a growing Amazon channel, and a new strategic wholesale partnership with Scheels. As we continue to grow rapidly, we’re looking for a high-impact  Lead Product Designer to help lead our next phase of growth.

Role Overview

As our in-house Lead Product Designer, you’ll own the full journey from concept to production, creating faith-inspired activewear that delivers both technical performance and strong brand identity. This role blends creativity and execution to ensure products launch on time, at quality, and ready for success in e-commerce and retail.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Development: Refine and evolve conceptual designs into fully developed products possessing knowledge of sourcing activewear-related fabric. Ownership of tracking, reviewing, commenting on all product samples, trims, lab dips, factory-items.
• Production Management: Act as the bridge to manufacturers, overseeing prototyping, sampling, quality control, timelines, and cost negotiations to take designs from development to final production.
• Scheduling:  Keeping the Product Team on track as it relates to the Dev Calendar for main seasonal collections, capsules, and special projects.
• Technical Design: Create and refine tech packs, fit specifications, and material selections to support accurate and efficient production of activewear apparel and accessories
• Optimize for E-Commerce and Channels: Design with sales channels in mind (Shopify, Amazon, Scheels), creating visuals, mockups, and iteration cycles that support performance across platforms.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work with outsourced designers, marketing, operations, and customer service to align on trends, inventory, and brand storytelling. Keep the team up-to-date on all things related to products coming down the pipeline.
• Drive Innovation and Testing: Research new fabrics and technologies, conduct rigorous wear-testing (including workouts and washing cycles), and iterate to uphold our commitment to top-quality, purpose-driven gear.
• Uphold Brand Values: Infuse every stage of the process with empathy, integrity, and a faith-centered mindset, ensuring products reflect our mission of expanding the kingdom and giving God glory.

What Success Looks Like

• Refined, market-ready products launched on schedule, building on outsourced concepts to achieve high performance and faith-aligned innovation
• Efficient production management leading to improved margins and reduced waste through smart supplier coordination
• Designs optimized for e-commerce success, driving strong sales across DTC, Amazon, and wholesale channels with low return rates
• Proactive identification and resolution of design-to-production friction, resulting in faster time-to-market
• A collaborative environment where your versatility supports team growth and embodies our purpose-driven culture
• Consistent quality improvements through testing and iteration, with minimal production issues

Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum 4+ years in apparel design, with hands-on involvement in product development and production management. Experience designing for e-commerce is a huge plus, particularly in activewear or sportswear. Technical Design background is strongly preferred
• Skills: Proficiency in design software (e.g., Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop), strong knowledge of fabrics, manufacturing processes, and product development. Excellent project management, analytical, and problem-solving abilities for end-to-end execution.
• Personal Attributes: Alignment with Christian values is essential. We're looking for someone who shares our commitment to serving others with grace and integrity. Must be based in or willing to relocate to the Twin Cities area, with reliable internet for remote collaboration if needed. Ability to thrive in a lean, fast-paced environment and collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, ops, and design contributors.
• Availability: Full-time with flexible hours, including occasional evenings or weekends for deadlines or events.
• Technical Requirements: Comfortable with digital tools like video conferencing (e.g., Zoom) and collaboration platforms (e.g., Figma, Google Workspace).

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary: $70,000 - $80,000 annually, based on experience and skills.
• Health & Dental/Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k)  with up to a 4% employer match.
• Apparel allowance
• Culture: Opportunity to work with a like-minded team in a purpose-driven environment where your faith can shine through your daily contributions.
• Future Growth: Room to expand into a leadership role as our company continues to scale.

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