Sweater Technical Designer - Freelance

Li & Fung; New York (NY); On-site; USD 69,000 - 83,000; Part time

Job summary

Li & Fung’s Ralsey Sweaters team seeks an experienced Freelance Technical Designer to drive sweater development from concept to production. You will partner with Design, Product Development, Merchandising and overseas teams to ensure fit, construction, quality, and customer requirements are met at every stage of development.

The ideal candidate has strong technical knowledge of knitwear, excellent fit evaluation skills, and thrives in a fast-paced apparel environment, with proficiency in tech

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of Technical Design experience, preferably within sweaters/knitwear.
• Strong knowledge of sweater construction, knit structures, yarns, gauges, stitches, and finishing techniques.
• Strong experience conducting fit sessions and providing detailed fit and construction comments.
• Proficiency in creating and maintaining tech packs, specifications, measurement charts, and technical documentation.
• Experience working directly with overseas factories and vendor teams.
• Strong understanding of garment construction, grading, fit, and production processes.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Office; experience with PLM systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Technical Design & Fit: Manage the technical development of sweaters from initial development through production. Conduct fit sessions and evaluate garment fit, construction, measurements, and overall execution. Prepare and maintain detailed tech packs, specifications, measurement charts, and construction details. Provide clear fit comments and technical direction to overseas factories and vendor teams. Review samples at various stages of development and identify necessary fit, construction, and specification adjustments. Ensure consistency of fit and sizing across styles and product categories.

Skills

Technical design

Knitwear construction

Fit sessions

Tech packs

Overseas collaboration

Time management

Attention to detail

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Microsoft Office

PLM systems

Job description

Are you a movement maker? Are you seeking new and exciting career opportunities? Here is what you need to know about the job: We are seeking an experienced Freelance Technical Designer – Sweaters to support our Ralsey Sweaters team.

This role will partner closely with Design, Product Development, Merchandising, and overseas teams to ensure sweater products meet fit, construction, quality, and customer requirements from development through production.

The ideal candidate has strong technical knowledge of sweater and knitwear construction, excellent fit and garment evaluation skills, and experience working in a fast-paced apparel environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Design & Fit Manage the technical development of sweaters from initial development through production. Conduct fit sessions and evaluate garment fit, construction, measurements, and overall execution. Prepare and maintain detailed tech packs, specifications, measurement charts, and construction details. Provide clear fit comments and technical direction to overseas factories and vendor teams. Review samples at various stages of development and identify necessary fit, construction, and specification adjustments. Ensure consistency of fit and sizing across styles and product categories.
• Sweater & Knitwear Development Apply strong knowledge of sweater construction, yarns, gauges, stitches, knit structures, and finishing techniques throughout the development process. Evaluate sweater samples for construction, workmanship, measurements, and production feasibility. Troubleshoot technical and construction issues and provide solutions to improve fit, quality, and execution. Ensure technical requirements are accurately communicated to factories throughout the development and approval process.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner closely with Design and Product Development to translate design intent into technically accurate and production-ready product. Communicate directly with overseas teams and vendors regarding fit comments, specifications, sample revisions, and technical requirements. Manage multiple styles and development timelines simultaneously while meeting established deadlines. Support customer-specific fit and technical requirements as needed. Maintain accurate technical documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

Qualifications & Skills

• Minimum 5+ years of Technical Design experience, preferably within sweaters/knitwear.
• Strong knowledge of sweater construction, knit structures, yarns, gauges, stitches, and finishing techniques.
• Strong experience conducting fit sessions and providing detailed fit and construction comments.
• Proficiency in creating and maintaining tech packs, specifications, measurement charts, and technical documentation.
• Experience working directly with overseas factories and vendor teams.
• Strong understanding of garment construction, grading, fit, and production processes.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Office; experience with PLM systems preferred.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple styles and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent attention to detail, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Private label and/or major retailer experience is a plus.

Compensation/Benefits

The approximate annual base salary range for this position is $50.00 - $60.00 per hour. The offered hourly rate for this position will vary based on role requirements, skill set and years of experience.

Equal Opportunity Statement

As an equal opportunity employer, we shall consider all applicants regardless of gender, age, religion, marital status, race, sexual orientation, disability, disease, pregnancy, or trade union and/or political affiliation, and disregard all factors deemed inappropriate by local law and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

About Fung Group

Fung Group is a pioneer for the consumer goods supply chain. With a rich history in import and export trading and global supply chain management dating back to 1906, our core businesses operate across the entire global supply chain for consumer goods including trading, logistics, distribution and retail. Today, we are focused on advancing new, disruptive technologies shaping the future of supply chains and exploring new opportunities for business growth through strategic innovation in retailing, new products, services or markets. Across Fung Group, our core values of entrepreneurship, being humble and acting as one family, form the basis for our culture, business strategies and brand.