Technical Designer | Apparel Development Specialist

Role overview

Technical development and fit

• Translate fashion concepts, sketches, and creative briefs into detailed technical specifications and maintain technical packs, construction details, and measurement charts.
• Develop and review patterns, grading specifications, and size charts with pattern-making specialists.
• Conduct fit sessions and evaluate prototypes, samples, and pre-production garments against approved specifications.
• Identify fit, measurement, construction, and design issues; send clear technical comments and correction instructions to factories and sample rooms.
• Coordinate sample development, prototype revisions, size-set approvals, and pre-production sample submissions.

Materials, production, and quality

• Recommend fabrics, linings, trims, fasteners, threads, and other components based on product requirements; evaluate fabric performance where applicable.
• Work with sourcing and procurement teams to identify materials meeting quality, cost, availability, and sustainability requirements.
• Review garment construction, stitching, seams, reinforcement, and finishing; coordinate color, fabric testing, lab dip, print, embroidery, and trim approvals.
• Support product costing by reviewing material consumption, construction complexity, manufacturing requirements, and cost-saving opportunities.
• Resolve technical challenges with manufacturers, monitor timelines, and confirm approved samples and specifications are ready for bulk manufacturing.
• Assist quality assurance teams with inspection criteria and checkpoints; investigate recurring defects and recommend corrective actions.
• Ensure apparel meets applicable labeling, product safety, restricted-substance, and market requirements.

Documentation and collaboration

• Maintain accurate technical documents, sample records, measurement data, revisions, and material specifications throughout product development.
• Use digital design tools to prepare technical flats, construction diagrams, and garment detail illustrations.
• Support seasonal collections, new categories, and garment innovation; research construction techniques, materials, fit trends, and manufacturing technologies.
• Recommend improvements to development workflows and coordinate teams to align design intent, technical feasibility, production capacity, and schedules.
• Provide technical guidance to junior designers, product developers, and other team members when required.

Required qualifications and experience

• Requires a bachelor's degree or diploma in Fashion Design, Apparel Technology, Garment Manufacturing, Textile Technology, or a related discipline.
• Requires relevant professional experience in technical design, apparel development, garment production, or product engineering.
• Requires understanding of garment construction, pattern development, grading, fitting, apparel manufacturing, technical packs, measurement charts, and construction specifications.
• Requires ability to interpret fashion sketches, conduct fit sessions, review samples, and communicate corrections.
• Requires knowledge of fabrics, trims, textile characteristics, material performance, size specifications, measurement tolerances, and fit standards.
• Requires understanding of sewing techniques, seam construction, garment finishing, and quality control.
• Requires proficiency in fashion design and technical drawing software, such as Adobe Illustrator, CLO 3D, Gerber, Lectra, or comparable tools.
• Understanding garment costing, material consumption, manufacturing efficiency, and cost optimization is required.

Additional qualifications

• Familiarity with PLM systems and digital product development workflows is advantageous.
• Experience reviewing pre-production samples and supporting bulk production readiness is preferred.
• Textile testing, shrinkage evaluation, colorfastness, and apparel quality standards are listed as relevant knowledge.
• Labeling, product compliance, restricted-substance standards, and sustainable materials are beneficial or advantageous.
• The role calls for analytical problem-solving, attention to detail, communication, coordination, organization, time management, and effective independent and team work.

What the employer offers

• The posting advertises competitive salary and comprehensive employee benefits.
• It describes opportunities for product development across fashion categories, professional development, technical training, and collaboration with international production teams.
• It mentions exposure to fabrics, garment technologies, digital design tools, and manufacturing processes, as well as career advancement opportunities.