Soft Goods Designer

Skip; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge startup in San Francisco is seeking a highly motivated soft goods designer to lead the design of garments that integrate with their innovative wearable robotic device, MO/GO. The ideal candidate will have over eight years of soft goods design experience, especially with technical apparel, and a strong understanding of materials. This full-time hybrid role involves collaboration with engineering teams and managing relationships with factories to create high-performance clothing. A passion for improving human movement is a plus.

Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in soft goods design and development, focusing on technical bottoms.
• 5+ years at an outdoor or technical apparel company.
• Expert knowledge of technical fabrics for lower body.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of MO/GO integration pant.
• Define functional requirements in collaboration with engineering teams.
• Select and qualify technical fabrics and materials for performance bottoms.

Skills

Soft goods design

Technical apparel knowledge

Pattern making

Technical fabrics expertise

Factory relationship management

Job description

ABOUT US:

Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement.

Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building products that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead.

Skip is a 22-person early‑stage start‑up that spun out of Google X in 2023. With deep cross‑disciplinary expertise and key partnerships (e.g. with Arc’teryx) we are uniquely positioned to launch the first commercially successful wearable robotic device, the MO/GO, develop a platform to launch future Movewear products and transform millions of lives in the coming years.

THE ROLE:

We are seeking a highly motivated and adaptable soft goods designer who is excited to solve problems that have never existed before — because the product category hasn’t existed before.

You will own the design and development of the garments that integrate with the MO/GO, starting with a technical pant built to work with our wearable robotic device. This isn’t a fashion brief. It’s a functional systems design challenge: the garment is part of the product. You’ll work hand‑in‑hand with our mechanical and human factors engineers to make sure fabric, fit, and device work as one.

Some of the specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the design and technical development of the MO/GO integration pant from concept through production — pattern making, material selection, fit iteration, and factory handoff
• Define the functional requirements of the garment in close collaboration with our mechanical, firmware, and human factors teams — attachment points, range of motion, load paths, and sensor placement all live in your brief
• Select and qualify technical fabrics and materials for performance bottoms: stretch wovens, knits, softshells, and any novel material that earns its place on the body
• Build and iterate physical prototypes rapidly; run fit sessions with internal wearers and external test users and translate feedback into pattern and material updates
• Own the Bill of Materials, tech packs, and construction specs to a standard that factories can execute reliably at scale
• Establish and manage relationships with fabric mills, trims suppliers, and cut‑and‑sew factories; understand lead times, MOQs, and what it takes to actually get something made
• Contribute to the long‑term Movewear soft goods platform — define the design language, material standards, and construction principles that future products will build on
• Collaborate with our Arc’teryx partners and bring that standard of craft and technical rigour to everything you make
• Wear prototypes on hikes, in the gym, and around the office — your body is a test rig

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years' experience in soft goods design and development, with a focus on technical bottoms
• 5+ years at an outdoor, performance, or technical apparel company — you know what makes a pant work in the field
• Expert-level knowledge of technical fabrics for lower body: stretch wovens, softshells, knits, and the trims and hardware that go with them
• Strong pattern making and garment construction fundamentals — you can read and mark up a pattern, not just a mood board
• Experience writing tech packs and managing factory relationships through production
• Ability to relocate to work at the Skip Bay Area office
• Sense of humour, tolerant of Aussie & Canadian spelling

Bonus Points

• Experience designing garments that integrate with hardware, bracing, or orthotic devices
• Familiarity with human factors, ergonomics, or biomechanics as they apply to garment design
• Experience with medical or assistive device adjacent apparel (compression, prosthetics interface, exosuit softgoods)
• Experience in start‑up or early‑stage product environments
• Personal motivation to improve human movement

This is a full time hybrid position working at the Skip office in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

Skip is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.

Any and all offers of employment extended by Skip are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.