Textile Research Engineer | Fabric Innovation Specialist

Abu Dhabi Transport Company; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Access to laboratory facilities

Job summary

Abu Dhabi Transport Company seeks a Textile Research Engineer to lead textile research, fabric development, and material testing across multiple product categories. The role focuses on advanced textile materials, lab testing, and performance optimization to meet evolving industry requirements.

The ideal candidate will manage experiments, analyze results, and collaborate with development teams to deliver high-performance fabric solutions while emphasizing sustainability and manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering or related field.
• Experience in textile research, fabric development, and material testing.
• Master's degree or specialized research in advanced textiles is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead research on textile fibers, yarns, fabrics, and finishes.
• Develop fabric solutions for apparel, home textiles, industrial and technical textiles.
• Coordinate lab experiments to assess strength, durability, and performance.
• Evaluate dyeing, finishing, and coating techniques to target properties.
• Prepare technical reports and material performance evaluations.
• Collaborate with product development, suppliers, and manufacturing teams.

Skills

Textile Engineering

Data Analysis

Laboratory Testing

Technical Writing

Project Management

Sustainability

Education

Bachelor's in Textile Engineering

Master's degree advantageous

Tools

LIMS

MS Office

Microscopy

Job description

We're Hiring: Textile Research Engineer | Fabric Innovation Specialist

Employment Type: Full-Time

Level: Mid-Level to Senior

We are seeking an innovative, analytical, and technically proficient Textile Research Engineer | Fabric Innovation Specialist to lead textile research, fabric development, material testing, and performance optimization initiatives. This role combines textile engineering, fiber science, fabric innovation, laboratory testing, sustainable material development, and manufacturing process improvement to create high-performance textile solutions that meet evolving industry requirements, customer expectations, and product quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct research and development activities focused on textile fibers, yarns, fabrics, finishes, and advanced textile materials.
• Develop innovative fabric solutions for apparel, home textiles, industrial applications, technical textiles, and other relevant product categories.
• Evaluate natural fibers, synthetic fibers, blended materials, recycled textiles, and emerging bio-based alternatives.
• Investigate the relationships between fiber composition, yarn structure, fabric construction, finishing processes, and material performance.
• Design and conduct laboratory experiments to assess fabric strength, elasticity, durability, dimensional stability, and functional properties.
• Perform or coordinate textile testing for tensile strength, tear resistance, abrasion resistance, pilling, shrinkage, and colorfastness.
• Evaluate specialized fabric characteristics, including moisture management, breathability, thermal insulation, water resistance, and antimicrobial performance where applicable.
• Analyze test results and prepare technical reports, research summaries, and material performance evaluations.
• Identify opportunities to improve fabric quality, functionality, manufacturing efficiency, and product consistency.
• Collaborate with product development, garment engineering, sourcing, manufacturing, and quality assurance teams.
• Research advanced textile technologies, including smart textiles, technical fabrics, nanotechnology-based finishes, and functional material systems.
• Develop and validate new textile formulations, fiber blends, fabric structures, and finishing treatments.
• Evaluate dyeing, printing, coating, lamination, and finishing techniques to achieve targeted material properties.
• Coordinate prototype fabric production, sample preparation, laboratory trials, and pilot-scale testing.
• Establish testing protocols, experimental procedures, and evaluation criteria for new textile materials.
• Investigate fabric defects, performance failures, inconsistent coloration, dimensional changes, and other material-related quality issues.
• Conduct root-cause analysis and recommend corrective actions to improve textile performance and production reliability.
• Work with suppliers and mills to evaluate raw materials, technical specifications, production capabilities, and quality documentation.
• Support the qualification and approval of new fabrics, yarns, fibers, dyes, and chemical finishing agents.
• Evaluate alternative materials to improve product cost, availability, durability, and environmental performance.
• Investigate sustainable textile solutions, including recycled fibers, biodegradable materials, low-impact dyeing, and water-efficient processing.
• Assess textile manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for energy savings, waste reduction, and improved resource utilization.
• Ensure research activities and material development processes follow relevant laboratory safety procedures and applicable industry standards.
• Coordinate with external laboratories, research institutions, universities, and technology partners on collaborative research projects.
• Maintain accurate records of experiments, material specifications, test results, prototypes, and research findings.
• Prepare technical presentations, development proposals, product specifications, and recommendations for internal stakeholders.
• Monitor emerging textile regulations, performance standards, material technologies, and industry research developments.
• Support the development of intellectual property documentation and technical disclosures for eligible material innovations.
• Provide technical guidance to junior researchers, laboratory technicians, and product development personnel.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives involving textile testing methods, research workflows, and material validation procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering, Textile Science, Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Relevant professional experience in textile research, fabric development, material testing, or textile manufacturing.
• A master's degree or specialized research experience in advanced textiles, functional materials, or fiber science is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of textile fibers, yarn manufacturing, fabric construction, dyeing, finishing, and textile processing techniques.
• Experience conducting laboratory experiments, analyzing test results, and documenting research findings.
• Familiarity with textile performance testing methods and relevant industry standards, such as ISO or AATCC methods.
• Understanding of physical, mechanical, chemical, and functional textile properties.
• Knowledge of fiber blends, fabric structures, coatings, laminations, and performance-enhancing treatments.
• Experience with laboratory equipment used for tensile testing, abrasion testing, color measurement, microscopy, or related textile analysis is preferred.
• Ability to interpret technical data and translate research findings into practical product development recommendations.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail when preparing samples, conducting experiments, and evaluating results.
• Understanding of statistical analysis, experimental design, and research methodology.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data analysis tools used for laboratory reporting.
• Familiarity with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) or materials testing software is beneficial.
• Knowledge of textile sustainability, recycled fibers, environmentally responsible processing, and circular material design is advantageous.
• Understanding of chemical handling, laboratory safety, and environmental compliance requirements.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineers, researchers, suppliers, manufacturers, and product development teams.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple research projects and meet development milestones.
• Experience with pilot production, textile scale-up, or manufacturing process optimization is preferred.
• Familiarity with smart textiles, technical textiles, nanomaterials, or functional fabric technologies is an advantage.
• Ability to evaluate material performance against customer specifications, product requirements, and cost targets.
• Commitment to research integrity, data accuracy, and responsible material innovation.
• Strong interest in continuous learning and emerging textile technologies.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive employee benefits.
• Opportunities to develop innovative fabrics and advanced textile material solutions.
• Professional development in textile engineering, materials science, and research methodologies.
• Access to laboratory facilities, technical equipment, and material development resources.
• Opportunities to collaborate with textile manufacturers, research institutions, and industry specialists.
• Exposure to advanced fibers, smart textiles, sustainable materials, and functional fabric technologies.
• A research-driven environment that encourages experimentation, innovation, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Opportunities to contribute to product development, material commercialization, and technical improvement projects.
• Access to relevant technical training, industry conferences, and professional development programs.
• Recognition for research achievements, material innovations, and measurable product improvements.
• Career advancement toward Senior Textile Research Engineer, Fabric Innovation Manager, Materials Development Manager, Textile R&D Director, or Head of Materials Innovation.