Technical Design

FutureStitch; San Clemente (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

FutureStitch in San Clemente, CA is hiring a Technical Designer & Developer to own the technical backbone of our products—the patterns, fabrics, specs, tech packs, and fit work that bring concepts into production.

This hands-on, leadership-focused role requires driving technical development from concept handoff through fit approval, with quarterly objectives guiding progress across SECONDS and base layer lines.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in technical design, product development, or pattern making within apparel, knitwear, or performance product.
• Demonstrated pattern making and grading skills (flat pattern and digital). Hand sewing and sample making is a strong plus.
• Deep working knowledge of knit and woven fabrics and how they behave through sew and wear.
• Proven track record building complete tech packs that a factory can execute.
• Experience running fit sessions and owning the fit process for a category or program.
• Fluency in CAD or pattern software (Gerber, Optitex, Browzwear, CLO) and Adobe Illustrator; comfort with Excel and PLM systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical development of assigned programs from concept handoff to production readiness.
• Draft, develop, grade, and correct patterns from design concepts and reference garments.
• Build and maintain size charts, grade rules, and block libraries by category.
• Translate design intent into buildable construction: seam methods, trims, closures, panel logic, finishing.
• Own fabric consumption and yield estimates that feed costing and material ordering.
• Build and maintain production-ready tech packs (BOMs, POMs, construction details, labeling).
• Hold spec accuracy and revision control for current factory usage.
• Run fit sessions, evaluate samples against spec, and write clear fit comments.
• Mentor junior developers on the craft and surface technical risk early with a path forward.

Skills

Pattern making

Grading

Knit/woven fabrics knowledge

Tech packs

CAD pattern software

Adobe Illustrator

Excel/PLM

Clear communication

Tools

Gerber

Optitex

Browzwear

CLO

Adobe Illustrator

Excel

PLM systems

Job description

FutureStitch is a fully vertical circular manufacturer that believes business should be a force for good. We are the team behind products for some of the world’s leading brands and organizations, including Stance, New Balance, the NBA, and MLB. What sets us apart is our focus on innovation — from our lab at MIT to our Oceanside factory that creates employment opportunities for second-chance hires, FutureStitch is pushing what’s possible in advanced knitting and manufacturing.

In 2027, FutureStitch will expand into new product categories, including performance base layers, while launching SECONDS — a regenerative design collective built around the power of second chances for both people and materials. Through advanced recycling and circular manufacturing technologies, we transform waste into new materials and products that bring together thoughtful design, performance, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

As we grow beyond socks and into broader apparel categories, we are looking for a Technical Designer / Developer who is detail-oriented, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and excited to help build and develop great product from the ground up.

THE ROLE

We’re looking for a Technical Designer & Developer to own the technical backbone of our product: patterns, fabrics, specs, tech packs, and the fit work that turns a concept into something real.

This is a hands-on, execution-first role — but it’s not a purely supporting one. You’ll be trusted to lead the technical development of a program outright: carrying it from concept handoff through fit approval and production-ready spec, setting the technical standard, and making the calls that determine how the product gets built. Your scope is apparel, base layer, and accessories.

If you like solving construction problems, want real ownership of how a garment comes together, and want to see your patterns become product rather than a queue of tickets, this is the job.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN

• Lead the technical development of assigned programs — own the construction approach, the fit standard, and the spec package from concept handoff to production readiness
• Draft, develop, grade, and correct patterns from design concepts, sketches, and reference garments — digitally and by hand
• Build and maintain size charts, grade rules, and block libraries by category
• Translate design intent into buildable construction: seam methods, trims, closures, panel logic, and finishing
• Recommend and qualify fabrics against end use — weight, content, hand, stretch and recovery, drape, and shrinkage
• Build patterns and specs around finite and salvage material families, where the yardage on hand defines what is possible
• Own fabric consumption and yield estimates that feed costing and material ordering
• Build and maintain complete, production-ready tech packs — BOMs, POMs, construction detail, artwork placement, and labeling
• Hold spec accuracy and revision control so the factory is always working from the current version
• Run fit sessions, evaluate samples against spec and intent, and write clear, decisive fit comments
• Surface technical risk early with a recommended path forward, and mentor junior developers on the craft

QUARTERLY OBJECTIVES

Q4 2026 — Onboard and Assess

• Onboard into our process, tools, and standards — the blocks, size charts, specs, and tech packs we are working from today
• Assess the current SECONDS and base layer lines from a technical standpoint: fit, construction, materials, and spec accuracy
• Recommend and execute the tweaks that make the existing line better — pattern corrections, construction changes, and spec cleanup

Q1 2027 — New Product Development

• Own the technical development of new apparel and accessory product from concept handoff forward
• Draft the patterns, qualify the materials, and build the tech packs that carry new styles into sampling
• Set the construction and fit direction on new product rather than inheriting it

Q2 2027 — Own and Build

• Hold technical development for a full seasonal range independently
• Turn the block, spec, and construction libraries into a system the rest of the team can work from
• Bring material and construction recommendations to the front of the process rather than reacting to them downstream

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

• Technical Expert — strong understanding of garment construction and the ability to assess how a garment was built, identify issues, and recommend the right solution
• Material-Fluent — understands how different fabrics behave and how material selection impacts pattern, fit, construction and performance.
• Product-Minded — you think about product in three dimensions, not just on the page, and you care what goes into the world
• Accountable — you can be handed a program and trusted with the technical solve; you chase the answer instead of waiting for it
• Detail Oriented — specs, measurements, and revisions are handled carefully, because you know what a decimal costs downstream
• Clear Communicator — you write fit comments and factory emails that leave no room for interpretation, across time zones and languages

QUALIFICATIONS

• 4+ years in technical design, product development, or pattern making within apparel, knitwear, or performance product
• Demonstrated pattern making and grading skill — flat pattern and digital; hand sewing and sample making is a strong plus
• Deep working knowledge of knit and woven fabrics — construction, fiber content, weight, stretch and recovery, shrinkage, and how each behaves through sew and wear
• Proven track record building complete tech packs that a factory can execute without a second conversation
• Direct experience running fit sessions and owning the fit process for a category or program
• Experience developing product with overseas factory partners and communicating technical detail across time zones
• Fluency in CAD or pattern software (Gerber, Optitex, Browzwear, CLO, or equivalent) and Adobe Illustrator; comfort in Excel and PLM systems
• The judgment and communication skills to lead the technical side of a program, not just execute a task list

THE DETAILS

• Full-time, hybrid — 3–4 days in office, 1–2 days from home
• Based primarily in San Clemente, CA, with approximately one day a week at our Oceanside manufacturing facility
• Scope: apparel, base layer, and accessories
• Occasional international travel in support of development
• $85-95,000.00 based on experience and skill level