Global Materials R&D Leader: Fabric Innovation & Strategy

BoF Careers; New York (NY); On-site; USD 275,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Merchandise discount

Competitive PTO

Volunteer hours

401(k) matching

Employee stock purchase plan

Insurance (medical/dental/vision)

Job summary

Gap Inc. seeks a senior materials leader to drive holistic fabrics strategy across all brands (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta).

You will translate brand aesthetics into executable direction, lead color operations, and champion a Fabric First mindset through the product-to-market process. You will influence cross-functional teams in North America and collaborate with Asia-based Mill Management and Fabric Engineering to deliver innovative, cost-effective materials and sustainable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in textile design, material science, or related field; post-graduate qualifications preferred.
• 15+ years in senior materials roles with global leadership scope across apparel categories.
• Proven experience driving materials innovation in a global, multi-brand enterprise; end-to-end fabric development from ideation to bulk production.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Gap Inc US-based Materials teams, developing a multi-year fabric R&D strategy aligned with brand and company objectives.
• Partner with design, merchandising, production, and sourcing to ensure materials meet creative, functional, and commercial requirements; present seasonal R&D trend insights to teams and executives.
• Contribute to global sourcing and product assortment strategies based on market research and competitive analysis.
• Lead Banana Republic R&D team, overseeing milestones across the product-to-market calendar with brand product leadership.
• Research and analyze global textile trends, market needs, new technologies, and consumer preferences to drive fabric innovation.
• Set annual and seasonal trend direction and drive innovation based on Design direction and industry trends.
• Analyze fabric needs across the company and communicate recommendations for cross-brand usage.
• Establish and monitor seasonal fabric development KPIs and cross-brand discipline on developments, testing and risk assessment.

Skills

Leadership experience

Global collaboration

Fabric development knowledge

Executive communication

Cost and margin management

Project management

Travel ability

Education

Bachelor's degree in textile design or related field

Tools

PLM systems

CAD

Digital trend analysis tools

Fabric design software

Job description

Gap Inc. seeks a senior materials leader to drive holistic fabrics strategy across all brands (Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta).

You will translate brand aesthetics into executable direction, lead color operations, and champion a Fabric First mindset through the product-to-market process. You will influence cross-functional teams in North America and collaborate with Asia-based Mill Management and Fabric Engineering to deliver innovative, cost-effective materials and sustainable