Textile Development Professional - Apparel

Milliken and Company; Spartanburg (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Milliken & Company seeks a Textile Development Professional to expand Apparel SBU with new platforms and products. The role reports to the Director of Development and involves collaboration with manufacturing and customers to launch flame-resistant textiles.

Travel approximately 25–50% to facilities and customer locations; emphasis on textile chemistry, formulation, and scalable processes to meet market needs.

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field.
• Applied understanding of fiber, yarn, weave, dye, finish processes and impact on textile properties.
• 5+ years of experience in textile product development, with strong emphasis on woven fabrics and textile chemistry.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Textile Acumen: Applied understanding of fiber, yarn, weave, dye, finish processes and impact on textile properties.
• Product Development Process: Lead end-to-end development of woven textile products from concept through commercialization.
• Translate lab concepts into manufacturable specifications, ensuring scalability and process robustness.
• Plan and execute manufacturing trials with data-driven decisions and reduced iteration cycles.
• Analyze test data to drive product trade-offs and decisions with a data science mindset.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with manufacturing, product line management, sourcing, and external partners.
• Identify and mitigate technical and scale-up risks early in the development process.
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor, elevating team capability in woven design, chemical formulations, and development rigor.
• Engage with suppliers and customers as needed, providing credible technical support and guidance.

Skills

Textile knowledge

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decisions

Fabric design & development

Problem solving

Education

BS in Engineering/Materials Science/Chemistry

MS in Engineering/Materials Science/Chemistry

Job description

Textile Development Professional - Apparel

Date: Sep 13, 2026

Location: Spartanburg, SC, US, 29303

Company: Milliken and Company

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leaderwhose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. Fromindustry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products thatenhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn .

POSITION TITLE

Textile Development Professional

POSITION OVERVIEW

The position will focus on product development andnew technologyplatforms to expand theApparelSBU. The position will report to theDirector ofDevelopment and will support the overall growth initiatives of the business. The Development Engineer will work with the business and manufacturing partners to create and launch new products in our marketswith specific emphasis on theflame resistanttextile market. Required travel will beapproximately 25-50% to the company’s manufacturing facilities and customer locations.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Textile Acumen:

• Applied understanding of fiber, yarn, weave, dye, finishprocessesand impact on textile properties
• Design andoptimizefabric constructions (fiber, yarn, weave,etc) to meet market performance requirements
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience in textile formulation chemistry andfinishdevelopmentto achieve targeted performance outcomes

Product Development Process:

• Leadend‑to‑enddevelopment of woven textile products from concept through commercialization
• Translate lab concepts into manufacturable specifications, ensuring scalability and process robustness
• Plan and execute manufacturing trials with clear hypotheses, data-driven decisions, and reduced iteration cycles
• Analyze test data (TPP, thermal transfer, strength, shrinkage, durability) to drive product trade‑offs and decisionswith a data science mindset
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with manufacturing, product line management,sourcing, and external partners to deliver successful launches
• Identifyand mitigate technical andscale‑uprisks early in the development process
• Serve as a technical leader and mentor, elevating team capability in woven design,chemical formulations, and development rigor
• Engage with suppliers and customers as needed, providing credible technical support and guidance

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• BS in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field
• Applied understanding of fiber, yarn, weave, dye, finish processes and impact on textile properties
• 5+ years of experience in textile product development, with strong emphasis on woven fabricsand textile chemistry
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and cross‑functional leadership skills

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• MS in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field

Deep understanding of inherent FR fibers and FR chemistry to meet applicable standards

Apply knowledge of fire service standards and certification requirements to proactively design compliant products

Proventrack recordof innovative commercialized products in FR, protective, or adjacent markets

#LI-AP1

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre‑employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [e-mail].