Materials Development Manager (knits and woven)

The Inside Job; Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading activewear company is seeking a Materials Development Manager for a 6-month contract. In this role, you will oversee the development of knits and woven materials, ensuring quality and sustainability across product categories. Your responsibilities will include collaborating with various teams, managing the industrialization process, and maintaining technical documentation. Candidates should possess deep knowledge of materials, excellent communication skills, and attention to detail. The position requires a minimum of four days a week onsite at Gymshark HQ.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading material development for knits and woven fabrics.
• Ability to integrate sustainability criteria into material production.
• Expertise in lab testing and compliance with internal standards.

Responsibilities

• Manage material development for knits and woven fabrics across categories.
• Collaborate with Product Development, Design, and Sourcing teams.
• Validate material quality through lab testing and compliance.

Skills

Deep technical knowledge of material and fabric technology

Strong understanding of garment technology and construction

Excellent communication skills

Attention to detail and strong organizational skills

Tools

Microsoft Office

PLM systems

Job description

Materials Development Manager (knits and woven) - 6 Month FTC

Are you passionate about innovation, sustainability, and performance in material development? Gymshark is looking for aMaterial Development Manager to lead the development and industrialization of knits and woven materials across all product categories, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality, durability, and aesthetics.

You’ll be responsible for:

• On‑time development of knits materials to Gymshark standards.
• Assessing and evaluating supplier performance for your material category.

This is a fantastic opportunity to step into a leadership role that directly influences how we deliver world‑class products to our community.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING.

• Manage material development for knits and woven fabrics across all categories, ensuring alignment with product requirements.
• Deliver development on time according to the seasonal calendar.

Collaborate cross‑functionally with Product Development, Design, Colour, and Sourcing teams to meet performance and production needs.

Partner with suppliers and mills to create innovative, high‑performance, and sustainable materials from brief through industrialization.

Validate material quality and performance through lab testing and compliance with internal standards.

Integrate sustainability criteria to reduce environmental impact.

Maintain clear technical documentation, including material specs, lab reports, and sustainability credentials.

Drive continuous improvement in quality, performance, sustainability, and cost‑efficiency.

Deep technical knowledge of material and fabric technology, including spinning, knitting, dyeing, finishing, and washing processes.

Strong understanding of garment technology and construction.

Expertise in lab testing and global fabric testing criteria.

Excellent communication skills for internal and supplier collaboration.

Knowledge of sustainable practices in material production and product development.

Ability to anticipate and solve material‑related issues.

Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and PLM systems.

Ability to travel as required.

Preferred Skills:

• Understanding of activewear, sports, fitness, and fashion markets at a macro level.

Onsite Collaboration: Due to the hands‑on and highly collaborative nature of the work within our Product & Supply Chain team, we have a minimum expectation of four days per week onsite at our Gymshark HQ. This ensures we can work closely together to innovate, problem‑solve, and deliver world‑class products for our community.

Please note, this is a 6 MONTH maternity cover contract.

✅ Disability Confident Committed

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer and want to encourage anyone with a disability to apply for a role at Gymshark. We offer an interview to candidates with disabilities or long‑term conditions who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Please let us know below if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident scheme.

We’re committed to finding reasonable adjustments for candidates with specific needs or have a disability during our recruitment process, and all applicants will be considered fairly and equally. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

If you’d like to request a reasonable adjustment please email [e-mail].