Materials Developer
Location: Boston, MA (hybrid in-office/remote)
The Materials developer will drive the design and development of the full range of materials for both our apparel and accessory lines. This position will be responsible for moving forward our material palette ensuring we are using the right technologies, fabrics, and yarns to support our full product range. The position must be able to work well on both the design side (performance and aesthetics) as well as on the development side (testing, timelines, costing).
Responsibilities:
- Research, develop and commercialize new materials and/or technologies to be applied to our product ranges; understanding advances in the marketplace, sustainability and performance technologies
- Explore innovative material trends and present to product team prior to seasonal kick offs
- Partner with the design team in the creation of new fabric and material solutions that align with the seasonal design direction
- Develop, implement and maintain a materials calendar that will tie in directly with our seasonal calendars
- Manage and work with current and new fabric mills on selecting materials that functionally meet the Tracksmith brand vision, as well as take into consideration the various costing, MOQ and timing requirements
- Ability to address material quality issues and solve as they arise
- Ensure product integrity by managing all material testing and wash requirements prior to bulk adoption
- Create a wear testing program with our runners and athletes to ensure new fabrics are fully tested before adoption
- Continuous evaluation and understanding of our current mills and vendor capabilities, advising new opportunities/potential challenges
- Provide technical and functional textile support to both the product team, as well as all cross functional teams
- Visit industry trade shows and fairs to gain knowledge and maintain understanding of current and future trends
Requirements:
- Minimum 5+ years experience in textile design/development, preferably in the athletic industry
- Strong technical knowledge of all areas of textile development, including development of fibers, yarn, material construction, finishings and performance technologies
- Strong knowledge of industry testing standards
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects/seasons at the same time
- Strong written/verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment
TO APPLY:
If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your resume to materials-developer@tracksmith.com.
Due to internet hiring scam attempts, we encourage applicants for open positions listed at Tracksmith to apply through the following site: tracksmith.com/pages/team. All communication with the hiring team at Tracksmith will come directly from a @tracksmith.com email address. Please reach out to careers@tracksmith.com if you have any questions or concerns.