Senior Manager of Technical Design

Shortstory; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Paid Time Off

401k with company match

Healthcare, dental and vision benefits

Opportunity to work with founding team

YC-backed startup environment

Catered lunch on Fridays

Job summary

Short Story, a fast-growing petite fashion retailer in San Francisco, seeks a Senior Manager of Technical Design to lead our design team and drive market-leading fit and quality. You will set standards, mentor experts, and partner with vendors to scale workflows while aligning with product strategy.

You will champion talent development, leverage data insights, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to push innovative design and efficient production in a growing, YC-backed startup.

Qualifications

• BA or BS preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in technical design and product development within Women’s apparel.
• 8 years of management experience, setting strategies and leading teams.
• Growth mindset.
• Petites experience required.
• Expert on the product creation lifecycle, specifically in fit and patternmaking.
• Passionate about developing your team’s knowledge and skillset in fit, patternmaking, quality and overall product knowledge.
• Process architect and demonstrated success leading teams through times of significant change.
• Strategic problem solver - situational analysis, scenario planning, weighing risk/reward, AB testing, evaluating, taking action, and open to iteration.
• You have a strong aptitude for data, metrics, reporting and analysis.
• Ironclad industry relationships and you value vendor partnerships.
• Never satisfied with average and are known to look for ways to improve/innovate to maximize team’s impact & effectiveness.
• You can operate comfortably and lead your team through ambiguity and change.
• Clear and influential communicator with both internal & external partners.
• Excellent identifier and developer of talent, to ensure your team has the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of an evolving business.
• You are able to travel (domestically and internationally).
• This role is onsite in our San Francisco Office full time.

Responsibilities

• Lead the growing Technical Design team, specializing in petite fit expertise.
• Establish processes to maintain industry-leading fit and quality.
• Educate and coach the Technical Design team to enhance skills.
• Evaluate and stabilize processes and tools to execute product strategies.
• Drive innovation with best-in-class tools and resources aligning with product vision.
• Streamline development process to increase speed, bandwidth and accuracy.
• Champion product excellence in fit and quality for client delight.
• Hold partners accountable for excellence across fit and quality metrics.
• Partner with vendors to meet fit goals and quality standards in bulk production.
• Collaborate with product development and merchandising to achieve performance goals.
• Foster vendor co-creation partnerships with clear standards.
• Introduce innovations and leverage supplier expertise for improved production.
• Leverage internal and external data to strengthen technical decisions.
• Prioritize talent development.
• Evolve team structure and external partnerships with Head of Product Development and Sourcing.

Skills

Petites experience

Data-driven mindset

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Patternmaking

Product lifecycle

Team development

Education

BA or BS preferred

Job description

Our Story:

Short Story is an award winning, technology powered retailer dedicated to petite women 5'4\" and under. Our mission is to create a seamless shopping experience for millions of petite women so they can dress with effortless confidence.

As a fast-growing startup, we’re revolutionizing retail with a data driven learning system that leverages customer feedback to create tailored products. We’ve been recognized by top publications like Forbes, Fortune and are backed by leading investors who share our vision of building the world’s next great consumer brand.

Our Values:

We’re building a company with intention and purpose. Our culture thrives on data insights, exceptional commitment to fit, and the urgency to move quickly on what matters.

• Transform Lives. We’re customer‑first. Everything we create exists to give her confidence.

• Demand Excellence. We deliver only our best work, in Fit and Finish. We obsess about details others overlook.

• Embrace Challenges. We see obstacles as opportunities to invent better solutions.

• Think Differently. We get a thrill from finding better solutions others haven't seen.

The Role:

The Senior Manager of Technical Design will lead our growing team of technical designers and drive the development of market‑leading petite fashion. Using data and technology along with craft and talent, this role will innovate our technical design and product creation processes. This role is about setting standards, refining fit and quality metrics, building a team of sterling experts and making our workflows the most efficient they can be. Collaborating closely with different teams and with vendors, this role will shape product strategies that strengthen Short Story’s foothold as the market leader of fit and quality in petite fashion. Talent development and transparent communication are integral to leadership, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration across the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the growing Technical Design team at Story Story, specializing in petite fit expertise.

• Establish processes to maintain Short Story’s industry‑leading position in fit and quality.

• Educate and coach the Technical Design team to enhance their skills and knowledge.

• Evaluate and stabilize processes and tools in order to execute product strategies efficiently (from fit blocks and grade rules to WIP and tech pack excellence).

• Drive innovation in our technical design work, establishing best in class tools and resources to execute against product vision.

• Streamline development process, ultimately driving speed, bandwidth and accuracy; build processes that are easily scaled.

• Champion for product excellence in fit and quality; delivering products that delight clients (in fit, style and quality).

• Hold internal and external partners accountable for excellence across all fit and quality metrics.

• Partner with vendors to ensure products meet fit goals and quality standards in bulk production.

• Partner with product development and merchandising to achieve process and performance goals.

• Foster strong vendor co‑creation partnerships with processes and clear standards that are both client‑centric and efficient.

• Introduce innovation and leverage supplier expertise to build upon fit and product creation technologies (and tech at source capabilities).

• Leverage internal data and external data to strengthen the technical design process; combining insights to inform technical decision making.

• Prioritize talent development.

• Partner with the Head of Product Development and Sourcing to evolve team structure, ways of working, external partnerships, etc., enabling accelerated growth.

Qualifications:

• BA or BS preferred.

• 12+ years of experience in technical design and product development within Women’s apparel.

• 8 years of management experience, setting strategies and leading teams.

• Growth mindset.

• Petites experience required.

• Considered to be an expert on the product creation lifecycle, specifically in fit and patternmaking.

• Passionate about developing your team’s knowledge and skillset in fit, patternmaking, quality and overall product knowledge.

• Process architect and demonstrated success leading teams through times of significant change.

• Strategic problem solver - situational analysis, scenario planning, weighing risk/reward, AB testing, evaluating. taking action, and open to iteration.

• You have a strong aptitude for data, metrics, reporting and analysis.

• Ironclad industry relationships and you value vendor partnerships.

• Never satisfied with average and are known to look for ways to improve/innovate to maximize team’s impact & effectiveness.

• You can operate comfortably and lead your team through ambiguity and change.

• Clear and influential communicator with both internal & external partners.

• Excellent identifier and developer of talent, to ensure your team has the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of an evolving business.

• You are able to travel (domestically and internationally).

• This role is onsite in our San Francisco Office full time.

Benefits:

• Flexible Paid Time Off

• 401k with company match

• Healthcare, dental and vision benefits

• Opportunity to work with a dedicated and experienced founding team

• Opportunity to work at a Y-Combinator backed startup

• Catered lunch on Fridays and company events

Short Story is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and a work environment free of discrimination and harassment for all employees and applicants. We work diligently to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.