Director of Technical Design

Faherty Brand; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(K) Plan with company match

Incentives Program

Commuter Options/Benefits

Generous employee discount

Job summary

Faherty Brand is seeking a Director of Technical Design to lead a team of 4–6 designers in New York. You will own technical design across core categories, drive fit sessions, and partner with Design, Merchandising, and Production to resolve complex construction challenges.

Expect strategic leadership, hands-on patternmaking, and ongoing workflow improvements. This role reports to product leadership and will guide PLM tools, digital processes, and supplier collaboration while scaling

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive technical design experience in apparel
• 3–5 years in direct team management or departmental leadership
• Proven hands-on expertise in patternmaking and product categories
• Deep knowledge of PLM systems and CAD patternmaking software
• Ability to map workflows and upgrade technical infrastructure

Responsibilities

• Lead, direct, and nurture a team of 4–6 technical designers; set growth paths and metrics
• Plan workload and headcount to scale with seasonal SKU counts
• Establish global fit, grading, and construction standards across product categories
• Own end-to-end technical responsibility for designated categories from design to production
• Lead live-model fit sessions and provide real-time pattern and balance corrections
• Collaborate with Design, Merchandising, and Production to resolve construction challenges
• Audit PLM systems, tools, and workflows; recommend upgrades
• Pilot new technical design tools to shorten development cycles
• Create and maintain SOPs, master specs, and digital libraries
• Build strong relationships with factories; align technical execution with cost targets
• Use fit analytics with cross-functional teams to improve returns
• Oversee the E2E calendar to meet milestones

Skills

Team Leadership

Hands-on design execution

Cross-functional collaboration

Workflow optimization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Technical Design or related field

Tools

Centric PLM

FlexPLM

Bamboo Rose

Gerber

Lectra

Browzwear

Clo3D

Job description

Is this job for you? The Director of Technical Design will lead, elevate, and scale the technical design function for a dynamic, fast-growing brand environment. This role requires a unique balance of executive leadership, strategic systems optimization, and hands‑on technical execution. Reporting to product leadership, you will manage a team of 4–6 technical designers while maintaining direct category ownership and actively leading fit sessions. Due to the evolving nature of our business, you will act as both a team leader and a hands‑on technical expert—evaluating current PLM software and tech tools, optimizing workflows, and forecasting departmental workload to scale infrastructure alongside brand growth.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead, direct, and nurture a team of 4–6 technical designers; establish individual career growth paths, clear performance metrics, and accountability frameworks.
• Workload & Capacity Planning: Analyze departmental bandwidth and resource allocation relative to seasonal SKU counts, proactively planning headcount and freelance support to scale with business growth.
• Fit & Quality Governance: Establish and enforce global fit, grading, and construction standards across all product categories to maintain brand consistency and high quality.

Hands‑On Category Ownership & Fitting

• Direct Category Ownership: Maintain full end‑to‑end technical responsibility for designated core product categories—from initial design concept through commercialization and production.
• Lead Fit Sessions: Facilitate and lead live‑model fit sessions for assigned categories, providing real‑time pattern, construction, and balance corrections to maintain creative design intent while ensuring optimal fit.
• Technical Excellence: Partner closely with Design, Merchandising, and Production to solve complex construction and technical fitting challenges.

Systems, Tools & Digital Process Optimization

• PLM & Tech Audit: Continuously evaluate current PLM systems, digital tracking tools, and technical workflows to ensure they meet the needs of the evolving brand or make recommendations for software upgrades.
• Process Innovation & AI/Tool Adoption: Research, pilot, and implement emerging technical design tools (such as 3D digital sampling, automated spec generation, or enhanced PLM modules) to drive operational efficiency and shorten development cycles.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Create, update, and maintain comprehensive brand technical manuals, master spec blocks, construction guidelines, and digital libraries.

Vendor Engagement, Costing & Supply Chain Alignment

• Factory Partnerships: Build strong relationships with international and domestic factory technical counterparts; conduct vendor capability assessments to ensure technical alignment.
• Cost & Commercialization Balance: Partner with Sourcing and Production to optimize garment construction for commercial viability, targeting production efficiency and yield without sacrificing design integrity or quality.
• Vendor Onboarding: Establish standardized onboarding protocols and technical execution packages for new factory partners.

Cross‑Functional Integration & Continuous Improvement

• Voice of Customer (Fit Analytics): Collaborate with Customer Service, Merchandising, and e‑Commerce teams to analyze customer return rates, reviews, and fit feedback, integrating data insights directly into seasonal fitting adjustments.
• E2E Calendar Accountability: Oversee the technical development pipeline to ensure all milestone dates on the end‑to‑end (E2E) calendar are consistently met by the TD team.

What you’ll have:

Required

• Experience: 12+ years of progressive technical design and patternmaking experience in the apparel industry, with at least 3–5 years in a direct team management or departmental leadership role.
• Hands‑On Expertise: Proven track record of managing direct reports while simultaneously owning product categories and running live fittings.
• Systems Mastery: Deep knowledge of PLM systems (e.g., Centric, FlexPLM, Bamboo Rose), CAD patternmaking software (e.g., Gerber, Lectra), and 3D fashion design/fitting tools (e.g., Browzwear, Clo3D).
• Scalability & Process Improvement: Demonstrated experience mapping workflows, identifying process bottlenecks, and upgrading technical infrastructure in growing brand environments.
• Product Knowledge: Advanced expertise in patternmaking, grading, garment construction, textile performance, and factory execution across multiple apparel categories.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Technical Design, Fashion Design, Patternmaking, or a related field.

Preferred

• Experience transitioning or upgrading legacy PLM/software platforms.
• Background managing both domestic and overseas factory technical communications.
• Experience with circular fashion, sustainable materials, and low‑impact garment construction techniques.

We aim to pay competitively for our size and industry. The base salary range for this position is $150,000 - $160,000 USD, but we will consider location, skill level and experience to determine the final offer.

Why us you ask!

• Health benefits
• 401(K) Plan with company match
• Incentives Program
• Commuter Options/Benefits
• Generous employee discount

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A bit about us:

Founded in 2013 by Mike and Alex Faherty and Kerry Docherty, Faherty is a family‑run lifestyle and apparel brand fueled by purpose and optimism. Our goal: to build a new American legacy by creating high‑quality, sustainably minded, feel‑good favorites that will bring you joy to wear.

We feel a deep responsibility to do things differently: to promise comfort without compromising quality. To hold ourselves to a higher standard with a lower environmental impact. To leave the world a better place than we found it.

We recognize the impact the fashion industry has on the world, and we’re dedicated to learning how to be better stewards of the planet. We believe the power of conversation and connection can make real change, and we’re committed to supporting people and organizations doing work that we believe in.

Our passionate leadership team comes from different backgrounds but share a singular goal: to deliver on our promise of comfort and craftsmanship. To work side‑by‑side in a collaborative, energetic, and creative environment every day, like the family we are.

We welcome everyone — and we mean everyone. We believe a diversity of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds only serve to make our team stronger, which is why we strongly encourage those from historically and systemically marginalized communities to apply: BIPOC, women, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community, to name a few. We strive to lead consciously, bravely, and inclusively — and to reflect those values in our work. Employees should embody the five core values of the Faherty team:

• Always Innovate, constantly seeking creative ways to improve and drive forward.
• Bring Day One passion, energy, and grit to every challenge, iterating relentlessly to exceed expectations.
• Move forward as one with a shared purpose, All Together, fostering inclusivity and collaboration across teams.
• Harness the Power of Positivity, even when things get tough we’re leading with optimism and resilience in every interaction with our team, customers, and communities.
• Deliver with a Timeless focus, ensuring quality and long‑term impact in all efforts.

Remain compassionate. Stay focused. Seek joy. Let’s make the world a better place!