Senior Technical Designer (One-Year Contract) - On-Site in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Senior Technical Designer (One-Year Contract) – On-Site in Fort Lauderdale, FL

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Technical Designer to join our team for a one-year contract, based at our corporate office in Fort Lauderdale. This role is an exciting opportunity for an experienced apparel professional who thrives on bringing creative visions to life through technical expertise and precision.

As a Senior Technical Designer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring that every garment not only embodies the creative direction of our Design team but also meets the highest standards of fit, form, function, and performance. You'll collaborate closely with both internal teams and external development partners, overseeing the entire lifecycle of garment development—from concept through to production.

In this role, you'll maintain up-to-date technical specifications, ensure garments meet quality standards, and support the design team through tasks such as sketch updates, construction reviews, and pattern evaluations. This is a hands-on, detail-oriented position where your expertise will directly influence the success of our product line.

If you are passionate about apparel design, meticulous about technical details, and eager to contribute your skills in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Collaborate with team members to gain clear design direction and reach a consensus on fit intent. Build style blocks in PLM to ensure size and fit consistency within each brand and across product categories. Also, ensure garments are built in a manner that coincides with the manufacturer's capabilities and the company's cost specifications.
• Execute a complete design specification package in PLM, including flat sketches, technical sketches, construction details, measurement specifications, appropriate tolerances, garment grading, and placement of graphics or labeling.
• Communicate with in-house and overseas vendors regarding garment specifications, including sending out tech packs, measuring samples, and size sets against approved specifications, commenting on garment fit and functionality, resubmitting garments until final approval, and maintaining an organized system of prototype samples.
• Work alongside the in-house patternmaker to ensure sample quality matches technical specifications. This includes examining the patterns to ensure fit, balance, and construction details, as well as ensuring the patternmaker understands specialized design and construction details.
• Conduct fit sessions on live models and/or dress forms to ensure proper fit, balance, and construction of sample garments. Bring attention to pattern or sewing changes and photograph, pin, and notate them for insertion into tech packs.
• Manage the sample development process from conception to final production approval by creating workflow tracking WIP spreadsheets in Excel, distributing them, and following up with all teams involved to meet calendar deadlines.
• Assist the design team by adjusting sketches, adding colorways and materials to the Bill of Materials in PLM, and adding any other descriptive or functional details that may be necessary to construct the garment during the production process.
• Collaborate with quality control, production, and outside vendors daily to develop business practices that ensure consistency and quality promptly.

What You'll Bring

• Technical Design experience, including knowledge of patternmaking, grading, garment construction, and large-scale manufacturing processes in overseas countries
• Advanced proficiency with PLM systems, including creating and managing Bills of Materials (BOMs)
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Illustrator and Photoshop
• Solid understanding of the apparel product development lifecycle, from concept through production
• Hands-on experience in apparel and trim development, including collaboration with factories and suppliers (strongly preferred)
• Proficiency in creating and updating accurate technical sketches
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage time effectively
• Proactive mindset and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to escalate complex issues when needed
• Strong work ethic and flexibility to take on additional projects while managing core responsibilities
• 5+ years of experience in apparel design or product development
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Apparel Design, Product Development, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.