Color Developer

Quince; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Quince is seeking a Color Developer to join our team in San Francisco. You will partner with our Color Forecast Expert to translate concepts into production-ready color standards, ensuring accuracy and consistency from lab dips to bulk production.

This role requires deep color expertise, meticulous attention to detail, and strong cross‑functional collaboration with Merchandising, Product Development, Creative, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in color development, textile development, or material R&D (women’s apparel preferred).
• Strong understanding of dyeing processes, color tolerances, and lab/bulk workflows.
• Experience with approving lab dips and evaluating color accuracy.
• Familiarity with color testing standards and reports (AATCC, ISO, etc.).
• Experience with color management systems or digital color tools a plus.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Review and approve lab dips to ensure alignment with approved color standards.
• Evaluate color against tolerance ranges using visual and instrumental methods.
• Confirm dye lot consistency across bulk production.
• Troubleshoot color issues and coordinate with mills and factories to resolve.
• Manage color fastness testing results and validate fabric opacity.

Skills

Color development

Textile development

Material R&D

Dyeing processes

Color management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Color testing standards

Job description

ABOUT QUINCE

Quince is a destination for builders, creators, innovators, and operators who want to come together and challenge the status quo. Our mission is simple: make really high quality essentials for really low prices, fairly and sustainably. We deliver on that mission through a unique manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) model eliminating the layers of traditional retail that add cost and result in consumers paying more than they need to. We find, build relationships with, and work directly with the manufacturing partners behind some of the world’s finest products. From there, our teams design smart, efficient operational processes and build and deploy proprietary technology, AI, and analytics to help us scale fast.

ABOUT QUINCE

Quince is a destination for builders, creators, innovators, and operators who want to come together and challenge the status quo. Our mission is simple: make really high quality essentials for really low prices, fairly and sustainably. We deliver on that mission through a unique manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) model eliminating the layers of traditional retail that add cost and result in consumers paying more than they need to. We find, build relationships with, and work directly with the manufacturing partners behind some of the world’s finest products. From there, our teams design smart, efficient operational processes and build and deploy proprietary technology, AI, and analytics to help us scale fast.

What began with a small assortment of elevated basics has quickly grown into a cross-category brand spanning apparel, accessories, home goods, and more. Today, tens of millions of people across a growing number of countries come – and return – to Quince because they trust us to deliver.

OUR CULTURE

Quince is a culture built for builders by builders. Our way of working starts with a blank sheet of paper. We question conventional thinking, use technology and data to uncover new opportunities, and move quickly to turn ideas into reality. We aren’t interested in replicating how others do retail. We’re building a better way – at a speed and scale unlike anything that’s been done before.

• We dream big and chase the hard problems others shy away from. Rejecting long-held assumptions is part of our company's DNA. Where conventional wisdom says you have to choose – soft or durable, speed or rigor, quality or price – we ask why that trade-off has to exist in the first place.
• Our pace is fast and the bar is high because our customers expect a lot from us and we refuse to let them down. We believe the best results come from challenging ourselves, learning from one another, and building on each other's strengths.
• Here, responsibility is not determined by role, tenure, or seniority. Every team member - no matter their level - has the opportunity to drive our business and shape our trajectory.

If you’re someone who likes to imagine new possibilities and build better systems rather than plug-in to outdated ones, Quince is the place for you.

THE ROLE

Color Developer

We are seeking a Color Developer to join our growing team. This role will support Apparel, partnering closely with our Color Forecast Expert to execute color from concept through bulk production. This role is highly detail-oriented and technical, with strong cross‑functional collaboration across Merchandising, Product Development, Creative, Engineering, and Supply Chain. You’ll be responsible for ensuring color accuracy, consistency, and integrity across lab dips, testing, production, and digital representation.

Responsibilities

Color Development & Approval

• Review and approve lab dips to ensure alignment with approved color standards
• Evaluate color against tolerance ranges using both visual and instrumental methods
• Confirm dye lot consistency across bulk production
• Troubleshoot color issues and work with mills and factories to drive resolution

Testing & Quality Assurance

• Manage and review color fastness testing results (wash, light, rub, etc.). Test and validate fabric opacity to ensure coverage and quality expectations
• Flag risks early and recommend corrective actions to protect color integrity

Color Management & Digitization

• Support the setup and ongoing use of color management tools
• Partner with the Engineering team to digitize color standards and workflows
• Help build scalable, repeatable processes for color accuracy across styles and categories

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Creative to ensure PDP imagery accurately reflects approved color standards
• Align with Product Development and Production teams to maintain color consistency from development through bulk
• Communicate clearly with internal teams and external partners on color expectations and approvals

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in color development, textile development, or material R&D (women’s apparel preferred)
• Strong understanding of dyeing processes, color tolerances, and lab/bulk workflows
• Hands‑on experience approving lab dips and evaluating color accuracy
• Familiarity with color testing standards and reports (AATCC, ISO, etc.)
• Experience with color management systems or digital color tools a plus
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across creative and technical teams
• Clear communicator who’s comfortable working with vendors and factoriesMotivated by working in a fast‑paced collaborative environment, where flexibility to stretch into or out of functional comfort zones is crucial for team success
• Proficient with MS Office/ G Suite applications including Word, Excel and Powerpoint

Preferred

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferred

All posted ranges are reflective of base salary and may vary depending upon experience level and location. Bonus and equity may also be provided for eligible roles.

Pay Range: $140,000 USD - $160,000 USD

WHY QUINCE?

Joining Quince means being part of a mission‑driven team reshaping retail. You will work alongside talented colleagues, tackle meaningful challenges, and contribute to building a more sustainable, accessible future for customers and partners alike.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & HIRING INTEGRITY

Quince provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Quince is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete your application or to perform the essential functions of a role at Quince, please let us know by completing this accommodation form. We review all requests individually and will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations on a case‑case basis.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Quince will conduct background checks in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.