Lead Creative Designer – Pro Sports

This role leads the development of high-impact graphic concepts for licensed professional sports apparel across print, embroidery, and other mediums. The Lead Creative Designer shapes creative direction from early ideation and sketch through final production-ready art, supporting seasonal wholesale lines, quick-turn opportunities, special collections, sales presentations, and key brand moments. A deep understanding of licensed fanwear, professional sports culture, and team identity across major leagues (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) is essential. The role requires a strong creative point of view, production fluency, and trend awareness while ensuring alignment with brand standards, attribution requirements, and manufacturing realities. As a senior creative contributor, this position provides art direction, mentorship, and strategic support to the design team and serves as a trusted partner to Creative Leadership.

About Unrivaled Teamwear

Unrivaled Teamwear is the parent company of Gear for Sports and Knights Apparel, industry leaders in sports and team apparel. Our brands specialize in high-quality decorated garments, offering creative decoration options and a premier selection of sportswear, including T-shirts, caps, fleece, performance wear, and outerwear.

Responsibilities

• Own and contribute to a significant portion of new graphic concepts selected for seasonal sample lines through hands-on design and art direction.
• Develop elevated print and embroidery artwork that balances creativity, brand integrity, attribution accuracy, and production feasibility.
• Partner closely with Designers and Graphic Artists to guide execution, provide creative feedback, and elevate overall design quality.
• Collaborate with Creative Leadership on art direction, design critiques, and seasonal creative alignment.
• Demonstrate strong cultural awareness of professional sports, fan behavior, retail trends, and evolving aesthetics in licensed apparel.
• Research market trends through retail, digital platforms, and industry events; apply insights in a brand-right, commercially relevant way.
• Serve as a creative liaison in cross-functional meetings when Creative Leadership is unavailable.
• Support the development of graphic tools, seasonal presentations, and sales materials that clearly communicate creative intent.
• Maintain working knowledge of decoration costs and production methods; partner with internal teams and Manufacturing to evaluate feasibility and cost impact.
• Lead factory R&D initiatives in collaboration with Merchandising and Brand teams, driving innovation while maintaining cost-conscious execution.
• Adapt quickly in fast-paced, high-volume environments, delivering creative solutions under tight timelines.
• Travel as needed for retail research, internal collaboration, trade shows, and client presentations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 3 to 6 years of professional graphic design experience, preferably in licensed apparel, sportswear, or consumer product environments.
• Strong foundation in design principles including composition, typography, color, and balance.
• Advanced proficiency in Macintosh systems and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience designing for production, including print and embroidery.