Technical Designer

Workwear Outfitters has a strong legacy of building innovative and authentic market-right products and is a leading supplier of work apparel and footwear for diverse occupations in industries such as automotive, manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, government, food services, telecommunications, hospitality, and many more. Workwear Outfitters is based in Nashville, Tennessee with more than 5,500 employees in facilities spanning the globe.

Brands under the Workwear Outfitters umbrella include Red Kap®, Bulwark®, Image Authority®, Kodiak®, Terra®, Liberty ®, Work Authority®, Workrite® Fire Service, Chef Designs®, Horace Small®, CritiCore®, and OOBE®. Workwear Outfitters is also the exclusive licensee for Dickies® apparel in the B2B channel.

Our Purpose: “We champion and empower workers who make our world work better”

Major benefits include medical, vision and dental, Life and Disability coverage.

Other benefits included: 401K, Tuition reimbursement, Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, and many others.

What You Will Do as a Technical Designer

The Technical Designer is responsible for interpreting the Designer’s intent & providing accurate specs / sketches / construction details / bills of materials for product development. This includes managing the product definition, cross-functional collaboration with merchandising, product development & pattern teams to finalize fabric and trim selection, evaluate fit and provide necessary input for production facilities to ensure accurate product within targeted costs.

How You Will Make a Difference:

• Provide technical support to merchandisers and designers for market research: Measure / fit/ advise construction improvements, comparison studies.

• Interpret Designer’s intent & provide accurate specs / sketches / construction details for development.

• Evaluate sample garments for Design intent, Fit, Construction through all phases of development.

• Maintain Tech Pack updates through all phases of development and production.

• Communicate directly with partners and manufacturing at all phases of development, providing detailed images as needed for clarification.

• Contribute to fittings on live model or mannequin/avatar.
• Must have influencing capabilities over other functions to drive them towards more positive outcomes.
• Able to make judgements on where discrepancies might arise and communicate them effectively.
• Subject matter expert in virtual, complex garment categories and systems.

• Assist in re-sourcing styles as needed by providing updated Tech Packs, answering questions from global & factory partners & careful comparison of previous production to new samples.

• Lead aspects of department projects – Newco company transitions, support mapping, office re-organization, customization/fabric performance etc.
• Coaches/counsels/trains peers & delegates on shared team projects (empowering and facilitating change
• Drive for process improvements through implementation and validation (operational decision making)

• Manages user permissions and access to systems and determines directions for new system interfaces (only Pam and Patricia)

Skills for Success:

• Bachelor's degree in apparel manufacturing, product development or apparel design related field

• 3-5 years work experience as a Technical Designer

• Knowledge of workwear construction is highly preferred

• Software experience in 3D, Browzwear preferred

• Adobe Creative Suite

• Excellent computer skills
• Strong Technical Drawing and Math skills

• Experience with the following: PLM system, Stride/WebPDM, Accumark/Gerber

• In depth knowledge of fabric, apparel, materials, construction and fit

• Must have pattern fit experience as well as understanding of basic apparel production processes

• Strong communication skills, verbal and written and visual, experience communicating with overseas factories preferred.

• Strong organizational and time management skills and attention to detail