Pre-Production Artist / Technical Designer

Mello is a premium custom merchandise company. We design, develop, and manufacture merchandise for brands that care how things are made. The role This role owns the space between design and production. You translate approved concepts into the documentation everyone else builds from: tech packs for cut-and-sew development, and specs and proofs for decorated goods. When an order comes out wrong, the cause is almost always a spec that left room for interpretation. This job exists so that stops happening. You’ll report to Product Development and work daily with our creative team, our production leads on the floor, and our outside manufacturing partners. What you'll do Set up pre-production proofs and mockups for screen print, embroidery, and other decoration methods Build tech packs for custom cut-and-sew: measurement specs, BOMs, trim and label callouts, construction notes, colorways, and grading direction Prep and release production art - separations, placement and sizing, Pantone and thread matching, digitizing direction Run the sample and strike-off process: request, track, review, and document each round of revision Review pre-production samples against spec and write correction notes clear enough to act on without a phone call Maintain the spec library, templates, and version control so every program has one source of truth Communicate specs and revisions to domestic and overseas manufacturing partners Flag production risk early - anything in a design that will be slow, expensive, or impossible to make well What we're looking for 2-4 years in product development, technical design, or pre-production art at an apparel brand, manufacturer, or decorated apparel shop Fluency in Adobe Illustrator - flats, specs, and print-ready file prep Real knowledge of at least one side of the house, cut and sew construction or decoration methods, and genuine interest in learning the other Obsessive about detail and version control. You notice when a measurement doesn't add up. Clear written communication. Most of this job is making complicated things unambiguous to someone who isn't in the room. Comfortable somewhere fast-moving where the process is still being built, and interested in helping build it #J-18808-Ljbffr Mello