Supplier QualityDevelopment Engineer – Technical Soft Goods

Job Description

Identify qualify and develop suppliers across technical soft goods material categories including elastomers and knit woven and nonwoven fabrics as well as assembled goods

Translate design intent and engineering specifications into manufacturing requirements; review and redline tech packs with factory technical teams

Qualify materials and assemblies through standard and custom testing protocols including abrasion tensile/elongation colorfastness and wash durability

Develop inspection criteria AQLs and in-line quality checkpoints in collaboration with manufacturing partners.

Investigate quality escapes through structured root cause analysis and drive corrective action to closure

Travel to support prototype builds and production ramps resolving issues that impede build progress

Serve as primary point of contact for all supplier communication reporting regularly on capability risk and development status to the remote team

Required Qualification

5 years of experience in soft goods product development supplier quality or manufacturing engineering

Proven technical depth in soft goods material categories and construction techniques (woven knit and nonwoven textiles; integrated hardware and trims; cut-and-sew bonding welding and thermoforming processes)

Applied experience with GD&T tolerance analysis and statistical process control

Working knowledge of soft goods testing standards and familiarity with soft goods reliability test equipment

Strong communication skills; ability to independently drive suppliers and cross-functional partners on design schedule and quality

Native or professional Mandarin fluency. Professional English competency

Preferred Qualification

Experience working on wearable products

Experience with 3D knitting processes and equipment

Experience with textile-elastomer overmolding

Experience with small form-factor soft goods