Archived listing. The details below describe a past opening.
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in industrial design, Product Design, Mechanical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Fashion Design, Apparel Design, or a related field
- 2+ years of experience in product development, pattern development, upholstery engineering, soft goods design, apparel pattern making, or a related field (4+ years preferred)
- Experience developing patterns and taking products from concept/prototype through production
- Experience creating patterns for furniture, upholstery, apparel, handbags, luggage, automotive seating, aviation seating, or other fabric-based/soft goods products
- Proficiency with Optitex, AutoCAD, AccuMark, Gerber, CLO 3D, or similar pattern development/modeling software
- Strong 2D and 3D CAD modeling experience
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams including engineers, upholsterers, builders, pattern makers, fabric cutters, sewers, product development teams, and manufacturing teams
- Strong understanding of material selection, fabric evaluation, pattern construction, manufacturing processes, and product assembly
- Ability to interpret design intent and create production-ready patterns for manufacturing
Nice to Have Skills & Experience
- 5+ years of experience in the furniture, upholstery, apparel, automotive seating, aviation seating, luggage, handbag, or soft goods industries
- Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
- Project management experience leading cross-functional product development initiatives
- Knowledge of product testing, validation, quality improvement, and manufacturing processes
- Advanced experience with Optitex, AccuMark, AutoCAD, Gerber, CLO 3D, or similar platforms
- Knowledge of furniture industry intellectual property (IP) considerations
Job Description
The Product Design Engineer – Fabric & Pattern Development will support new furniture product development from concept through launch by creating and validating upholstery patterns for residential furniture. This role is focused on upholstery pattern development rather than textile or fabric design, meaning they will take furniture prototypes and develop the patterns used for cutting, sewing, and upholstering the finished product. They will work in a highly collaborative product development and R&D environment alongside upholsterers, builders, fabric cutters, sewers, engineers, and manufacturing teams to prototype and refine new products. Additional responsibilities include developing patterns in Optitex or similar software, creating technical drawings and product documentation, supporting product testing and validation, processing engineering changes, and helping drive improvements in product quality, manufacturability, and cost.