CBRN Garment Designer

Avon Technologies plc; Cadillac (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Learning & Development

Stock Plan

Life/AD&D Insurance

Medical/Dental/Vision

Job summary

Avon Protection in Cadillac, MI seeks a seasoned apparel/PP PPE designer to advance CBRN garment concepts from concept through production transfer. You will develop patterns, details and assemblies, balancing ergonomics, barrier performance and manufacturability while aligning with safety standards.

You will lead prototype builds, trials and design verification, working with engineers to integrate garments with respirators, hoods and other PPE.

Qualifications

• Design experience for technical garments, protective clothing or wearable systems across concept to production.
• Strong pattern development, sizing, fit, grading, technical packs and BOM knowledge.
• Hands-on prototyping, fit sessions and design verification experience.
• Experience with regulated product development and evidence/documentation.

Responsibilities

• Develop CBRN garment concepts, patterns, assemblies and specs to meet requirements.
• Translate wearer trials and user insights into garment architectures and details.
• Design textiles, seams, closures, interfaces, labeling and packaging for protective clothing.
• Lead or support prototype builds, evaluation and design verification planning.
• Collaborate with engineering to integrate garments with respirators and other PPE.

Skills

Mechanical design

Human factors

Pattern development

3D CAD

SolidWorks

Adobe Creative Suite

PLM/technical-pack

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Human factors

Related discipline

Tools

SolidWorks

CLO/Optitex/Gerber/Lectra

FlexPLM/WebPDM

2D/3D CAD

Job description

Responsible for the design, development and technical maturation of CBRN protective garment systems and associated soft-goods interfaces, from concept through prototype, evaluation, verification support and transfer to manufacture. The role balances garment ergonomics, wearer integration, barrier performance, manufacturability, regulatory expectations, cost and programme objectives.

General Accountability/ Responsibility:

• Develop CBRN garment concepts, patterns, assemblies and detailed specifications that meet agreed customer, user, programme and product requirements.
• Translate voice-of-customer, wearer trials, threat/use-case requirements and human factors insights into practical garment architectures, features and construction details.
• Design and specify textile systems, seams, closures, interfaces, reinforcement, sizing, fit, donning/doffing features, labelling and packaging requirements appropriate to CBRN protective clothing.
• Lead or support prototype build activity, sample evaluation, fit sessions, user trials and design verification planning, ensuring evidence and decisions are captured in accordance with Avon procedures and quality systems.
• Work closely with engineering colleagues to integrate garments with respirators, hoods, gloves, boots, harnesses, communications, powered-air systems and other PPE or mission equipment where applicable.
• Create and maintain design outputs including technical drawings, pattern information, graded size data, bills of material, construction specifications, tolerance requirements, test sample definitions and supplier manufacturing packages.
• Assess manufacturability and repeatability of garment designs, including seam construction, material handling, repairability (if applicable), inspection criteria, production tooling/templates and supplier capability.
• Identify candidate materials, films, laminates, closures, tapes, elastics and other components, working with suppliers to obtain data, samples and prototype materials. Evaluate candidate materials using in-house and/or 3rd party test capabilities.
• Support regulatory, certification and approval activities by ensuring design intent, test rationale, sample traceability and evidence packs are complete and technically coherent.
• Apply structured design review, risk management and problem‑solving methods to resolve performance, fit, durability, comfort, usability and production issues.
• Collaborate with purchasing, quality, operations and suppliers to manage design changes, cost targets, lead times, first-article evaluation and transfer-to-production readiness.
• Communicate clearly with internal stakeholders, customers, test laboratories and external partners, preparing concise technical presentations and recommendations to support design decisions.

Requirements

Education:

Degree in:

• mechanical engineering
• human factors
• or a related discipline

Experience

• Demonstrable experience designing technical garments, protective clothing, soft goods or wearable equipment from concept through development and production introduction.
• Strong understanding of pattern development, garment construction, sizing, fit, grading, tolerancing, technical packs, bills of material and supplier‑ready specifications.
• Practical knowledge of textiles, laminates, membranes, coated fabrics, seam technologies, closures, tapes, elastics and other garment components relevant to protective clothing.
• Hands‑on prototyping, fitting and sample evaluation capability, with the ability to diagnose design, construction, comfort, durability and manufacturability issues.
• Ability to work within a regulated product‑development environment, generating clear design evidence, test rationale and configuration‑controlled documentation.
• Experience collaborating with external suppliers, garment manufacturers, laboratories or approval bodies to develop, evaluate and industrialize technical products.
• Competence with relevant design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, PLM/technical‑pack systems, 2D/3D CAD, pattern software or equivalent digital design workflows.
• Methodical approach to task management, design review, problem solving, design change control and cross‑functional communication.
• Appreciation of cost, schedule, customer requirements and production constraints, with the judgement to optimize design decisions across competing program priorities
• Experience with CBRN, chemical protective, biological protective, flame‑resistant, military, emergency response, medical, cleanroom or other high‑consequence protective garments.
• Familiarity with PPE certification, standards‑driven design verification and test evidence requirements for protective clothing or integrated PPE systems.
• Experience integrating garments with respiratory protection, hoods, gloves, boots, load carriage, communications, powered‑air systems or other mission equipment.
• Knowledge of human factors, wearer burden, thermal burden, dexterity, field maintainability, decontamination, packaging, storage and shelf‑life considerations.
• Experience with lean, Six Sigma, structured NPI, stage‑gate processes, design FMEA, risk assessment or equivalent product‑development governance.
• Experience using SolidWorks, CLO/Optitex/Gerber/Lectra, FlexPLM/WebPDM or comparable CAD, pattern and product lifecycle tools.

We design and produce life‑critical personal protection solutions for the world’s militaries and first responders. With a portfolio that includes Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (“CBRN”), protection. We do this through our two brands, Avon Technologies and Team Wendy. Our mission is to provide unparalleled protection for those who protect us, giving them the confidence to tackle challenging situations and helping them get home safe. At Avon Protection, we recognize that our success relies on the collective efforts of our talented team. As an organization, we welcome individuals who embody our #FIERCE company values - fearlessness, integrity, excellence, resilience, collaboration, and the ability to execute.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes the following:

• Generous paid time off
• Learning and Development Opportunities
• US Employee Stock Purchase Plan / UK Share Incentive Plan
• US Company‑paid life and AD&D / UK Death in Service
• Medical/Dental/Vision

This job description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an all inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with this job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserved the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary.

Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.

U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub‑contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export‑controlled and other technology and services with certain "non‑U.S. persons" (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, "Temporary Residents" (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum (but excluding persons in nonimmigrant status such as H-1B, L-1, F-1, etc.) or non‑U.S. citizens.

To comply with these laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within Avon that may present access to export controlled technical data, Avon must assess employees' U.S. person status, as well as citizenship(s).

The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position. The decision whether or not to file or pursue an export license application is at Avon's sole election.

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without a sponsorship for employment visa status (e.e. H1B status).

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in Cadillac, Michigan is $70,000 - $110,000 annually. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and years of experience within the job, type and years of experience within the industry, education, etc.