Senior Director, Research & Development

High Life LLC; New York (NY); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

High Life LLC is seeking a Senior Director of Fabric Research & Development to lead end-to-end fabric development and manage the fabric approvals process. The role aligns fabric activity with the corporate calendar and seasonal milestones, coordinating with design, sourcing, QA, and production teams.

You will drive technical excellence in fabric construction, color management, and vendor relationships while supervising the Product Approvals team to ensure timely, pass/fail decisions and

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of new fabrics from concept through bulk approval.
• Partner with design and sourcing teams to translate seasonal direction into fabric briefs with performance requirements.
• Identify and evaluate new mills and fabric technologies; maintain vendor matrix.
• Define testing protocols to validate fabric performance against internal standards.
• Oversee and manage the Product Approvals department for vendor-submitted fabric quality and shade band approvals.

Job description

The Senior Director of Fabric Research & Development is a senior-level role responsible for leading two interconnected functions within the product development organization: the innovation and development of new fabrics, and the governance of the product approvals process for fabric quality and shade band submissions from vendors. This individual brings deep technical expertise in fabric construction, material science, and apparel manufacturing, and serves as the primary lead in aligning fabric development activity with the corporate calendar and seasonal milestone cadence.

Responsibilities:

Fabric Research & Development

• Lead end-to-end development of new fabrics, from concept and fiber selection through lab dip, strike-off, and final bulk approval.
• Partner with design, merchandising, and technical design teams to translate seasonal creative direction into fabric briefs with defined performance, hand-feel, and construction requirements.
• Identify and evaluate new mills, fiber suppliers, and fabric technologies; maintain and grow a robust vendor matrix.
• Conduct ongoing market and trend research to identify emerging materials, sustainable innovations, and performance technologies relevant to the brand's product categories.
• Build and maintain a fabric library and development archive that supports cross-seasonal reference and reuse.
• Define and enforce testing protocols to validate fabric performance against internal standards (pilling, wash/dry, colorfastness, shrinkage, etc.).
• Collaborate with sourcing and costing teams to balance fabric quality requirements with cost-of-goods targets.
• Oversee and manage the Product Approvals department responsible for reviewing and approving all vendor-submitted fabric quality submissions and shade band approvals across production.
• Establish and maintain clear approval criteria, tolerance standards, and decision frameworks for fabric quality and color submissions.
• Lead the approvals team in reviewing bulk fabric submissions, providing timely feedback, and communicating pass/fail/conditional decisions to vendors and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Resolve escalated approval discrepancies between vendors and internal teams, ensuring decisions support both quality standards and production timelines.
• Partner with QA and sourcing teams to track repeat deviations and implement corrective action plans with vendors as needed.
• Maintain documentation and audit trails for all approval outcomes.

Corporate Calendar & Process Leadership

• Serve as the lead for the fabric development process as it integrates into the corporate product development calendar, owning key milestone dates across the seasonal cadence.
• Kick off fabric development activity each season in alignment with corporate calendar targets; communicate timelines, deliverables, and gate reviews to all internal and external stakeholders.
• Proactively identify calendar risks and bottlenecks in the fabric development and approvals pipeline; propose and implement solutions to maintain on-time delivery.
• Partner with PLM or calendar management leads to ensure fabric and approvals milestones are accurately reflected in the master calendar.
• Lead seasonal handoff meetings and fabric review sessions across development, design, and production teams.

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Manage, mentor, and develop the Product Approvals team, including setting individual performance goals and fostering a culture of precision, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a subject-matter expert and internal resource for fabric-related questions across design, technical design, QA, and production teams.
• Build strong relationships with key mill and vendor partners to ensure alignment on standards, communication protocols, and development timelines.

Required Qualifications:

• 8–12+ years of experience in fabric R&D, textile development, or a closely related function within the apparel industry.
• Deep technical knowledge of fabric construction (wovens, knits, and non-wovens), fiber properties, yarn structures, finishes, and performance characteristics.
• Proven experience managing a product approvals or quality assurance function within a wholesale or retail apparel environment.
• Strong understanding of color management principles and shade band evaluation processes.
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to corporate product development calendar processes.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple development tracks simultaneously across tight seasonal timelines.
• Strong leadership and team management skills; experience managing direct reports.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to clearly articulate technical standards to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Textile Science, Fashion Technology, Apparel Design, or a related field; advanced degree a plus.
• Experience with PLM systems and development calendar management platforms.
• Familiarity with sustainable materials, responsible sourcing standards, and certification frameworks (GOTS, OEKO‑TEX, bluesign, etc.).
• Existing relationships with mill and fabric vendor partners across relevant sourcing regions.
• Experience with international vendor management and the ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Annual salary range starting at $160,000+

The disclosed salary range is commensurate with experience and does not reflect the total compensation package. Our associates have access to other valuable benefits that our Human Resources team is happy to share with candidates during the interview process.