Textile Development Professional - Automotive Airbag

Milliken and Company; LaGrange (GA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Milliken Automotive Airbag develops and manufactures high-performance fabrics for the global automotive market, dedicated to safety through innovative textiles. The role is based in LaGrange, GA, reporting to the Development Manager, and involves close collaboration with Manufacturing, Quality, and Commercial teams.

The candidate will lead fabric development, optimize processes, debug issues, and drive successful product launches across OPW and flat-woven constructions with coated/uncoated

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering or related field with 5+ years in manufacturing or product development.
• Strong teamwork and time-management skills.
• US work authorization without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, engineering, and commercialization of woven fabric products (OPW and flat-woven).
• Develop and optimize fabric designs (yarn, weave, finishing, coating, processing).
• Serve as technical fabric expert through concept to scale-up and commercialization.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Quality to optimize processing parameters.
• Design and coordinate development trials, prototypes, testing, and samples using DOE and statistical tools.

Skills

Textile engineering

Teamwork

Organization

US work eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in Textile Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

SAP

Minitab/JMP

NedGraphics

Jacquard design software

Laser cutting software

Job description

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Textile Development Professional - Automotive Airbag

Date: Sep 22, 2026

Location: LaGrange, GA, US, 30240

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 - Automotive Airbag

POSITION OVERVIEW

Milliken Automotive Airbag develops and manufactures high-performance airbag fabrics and solutions for the global automotive market, helping protect vehicle occupants through advanced safety technologies. As automotive safety requirements continue to evolve, our business is focused on delivering innovative, high-quality products that meet the industry's rigorous performance standards while supporting the next generation of vehicle safety systems.

Innovation is a key driver of our growth strategy. By combining deep technical expertise with strong customer partnerships and market-focused business development, we continue to advance airbag fabric technologies that enhance vehicle safety, reliability, and performance. Our products support a wide range of airbag applications, including driver, passenger, side-impact, curtain, knee, and specialty restraint systems.

We are seeking an individual with unique talents and a passion for innovation to help advance our technical and business development initiatives. This position is located in LaGrange, GA, and reports to the Development Manager.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the development, engineering, and commercialization of woven fabric products, including both One-Piece Woven (OPW) and flat-woven constructions, across coated and uncoated applications.

Develop and optimize fabric designs by evaluating yarn selection, weave construction, fabric architecture, finishing, coating, and processing parameters to meet customer, performance, quality, and manufacturing requirements.

Serve as the technical fabric expert throughout the product-development lifecycle, supporting products from initial concept and prototyping through manufacturing scale-up and commercialization.

Partner with Manufacturing and Quality to establish and optimize weaving, finishing, coating, and other fabric-processing parameters, ensuring new products are manufacturable, scalable, and capable of consistently meeting specifications.

Design and coordinate development trials, prototypes, testing, and sample production, using DOE, statistical analysis, FMEA, root-cause analysis, and other structured problem-solving tools to guide development decisions.

Troubleshoot fabric, process, quality, and product-performance issues, identify root causes, implement sustainable corrective actions, and drive improvements in quality, yield, process capability, efficiency, and cost.

Partner with customers and internal commercial teams to translate application and performance requirements into fabric constructions and technical specifications, while providing technical support for customer trials, concerns, and product qualification activities.

Maintain appropriate technical documentation and product-development records, support PPAPs and customer qualification requirements, and collaborate cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Product Development, and Commercial teams to ensure successful product launches and continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, with 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, process improvement, or product development; a graduate degree may be considered in lieu of some experience

Teamwork and ability to interact with individuals at all levels

Excellent organization and time management skills

• This position requires candidates to be eligible to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for a work visa (e.g., H-1B, TN, etc.)

QUALIFICATIONS – TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

Experience with woven textile/fabric engineering and development

Working knowledge of both One-Piece Woven (OPW) and flat-woven fabric constructions strongly preferred

Experience with coated and uncoated technical fabrics, including the relationship between fabric construction, finishing/coating processes, and end-use performance

Knowledge of weaving processes, yarn/fiber properties, textile testing, fabric specifications, and manufacturing scale-up

Experience in automotive textiles, airbags, technical textiles, or another performance-fabric environment preferred

QUALIFICATIONS – PREFERRED

Automotive background/experience

• Engineering Development and Project Management experience is preferred

Experience with or working knowledge of AutoCAD, SAP, Minitab and/or JMP statistical software, Microsoft Office Suite,NedGraphics, Jacquard design software (or equivalent), and laser cutting software

The successful candidate will have strengths in the following:

Ability to collaborate both internally and externally, to shape ideas/concepts and communicate them successfully to build a robust development portfolio

Demonstrate a high level of vision and out of the box thinking to provide innovative customer solutions

Display high energy and be fully committed to the role, its opportunities and challenges

Willingness to travel when necessary

Ability to collaborate both internally and externally, to shape ideas/concepts and communicate them successfully to build a robust development portfolio

#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].