Senior Apparel Innovation Designer Runner-First Prototyping

Brooks Sports Inc; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Product discounts

Employee recognition

Fitness discounts

Volunteer and donation benefits

Job summary

Brooks is seeking a Senior Apparel Innovation Designer, Advanced for its Seattle HQ. You will lead long-term apparel concepts, bridging research with near-term products, and collaborate with Materials Innovation to drive breakthrough designs.

You will prototype, test, and refine materials and garment features, ensuring feasibility for production and successful handoffs to the in-season team. Travel 15–20% annually is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Apparel, or related field.
• 7+ years in apparel innovation, technical design, or related roles.
• Proficiency in vector-based graphics software (Illustrator, Photoshop) and familiarity with digital design and prototyping tools.
• Connect technical decisions to user experience and market needs.
• Proven track record of innovation and initiative in product or process improvement.
• Lead and influence in cross-functional teams to meet objectives.
• Effective project management and independent work with regular check-ins.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining big-picture view.
• Excellent verbal and written communication of concepts and technical details.
• Travel 15-20% domestically and internationally; embrace Brooks values.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of pro kits for competition, prioritizing technical advancements for global events.
• Record attempts and tailor product specifics.
• Develop and prototype apparel concepts for near-future seasons with varying complexity.
• Manage projects with challenging briefs through ambiguity to completion.
• Drive performance solutions addressing cooling, warmth, support, visibility, and protection.
• Collaborate with Materials, Development, and cross-functional teams for feasibility and brand alignment.
• Rapidly prototype and test new materials, garment features, and technologies for market launch.
• Use body mapping and athlete tailoring to engineer garments for targeted support.

Skills

Vector graphics

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Digital design tools

User experience alignment

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Design/Apparel

Equivalent mix of education/experience

Tools

Digital prototyping tools

Job description

Brooks is seeking a Senior Apparel Innovation Designer, Advanced for its Seattle HQ. You will lead long-term apparel concepts, bridging research with near-term products, and collaborate with Materials Innovation to drive breakthrough designs.

You will prototype, test, and refine materials and garment features, ensuring feasibility for production and successful handoffs to the in-season team. Travel 15–20% annually is expected.