Senior Technical Designer - Sweaters & Cut and Sew Knits

Posted 2 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Headquarters, AZ, USA
In-Office
86K-112K Annually
Senior level
Fashion • Retail
The Role
Leads end-to-end technical development for women's sweaters and cut-and-sew knits, including fit, construction, technical packages, sample approvals, vendor collaboration, and production readiness. Diagnoses fit issues, establishes quality standards, manages seasonal calendars, evaluates factory capabilities, improves development processes, and mentors junior technical designers. Partners closely with Design, Merchandising, Production, and sourcing to deliver manufacturable, cost-effective products.
Summary Generated by Built In

Our Story

J.Crew gets you dressed every day, for every occasion. 

Since 1983, we’ve been creating classics that feel familiar and refreshingly new, crafted with unbeatable quality and distinctive point of view—it’s no wonder we’ve been in your closet for four decades and counting.

Today, we continue to do the classics our way, inspiring not only how you shop but how you define your personal style. Our commitment runs deeper than just making great clothes—we’re proud of our role in getting you dressed with confidence, character, and celebrating a distinctly American sensibility that makes us who we are. 

Our dedication to Diversity, Equity, Belonging & Sustainability has been celebrated with industry recognition, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable workplace.

The Role + Purpose:

The Senior Technical Designer is a key partner to Design, Production, and Merchandising, driving the technical strategy and execution that bring product concepts to life through precise fit, construction, and manufacturing excellence. This role owns the technical development process end-to-end for a major product category, sets standards that elevate quality and consistency across the business, and mentors junior team members. We welcome candidates with diverse paths and experiences who bring deep technical expertise, sound judgment under ambiguity, and a track record of cross-functional leadership.

  • Own the technical strategy and development process for Women’s Knits/Sweaters, from concept through bulk production (TOP), setting the standard for fit, construction, and quality across the category.
  • Serve as the primary technical point of contact for Design, Merchandising, and Production leadership, translating design intent into technically sound, cost-effective, and manufacturable solutions.
  • Lead fit sessions on live models, diagnosing complex fit and construction issues and directing corrective action across the development calendar.
  • Architect and maintain technical packages and construction standards, ensuring precision and consistency across multiple categories and driving process improvements that reduce fit iterations and cycle time.
  • Oversee sample tracking, fittings, and approvals across a full seasonal calendar, proactively identifying risks to key milestones (bulk and photo approvals) and resolving bottlenecks before they impact the line.
  • Act as technical lead in factory partner relationships, delivering detailed written feedback, technical sketches, and visual references, and coaching vendors on capability building and problem resolution.
  • Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior technical designers, reviewing their work and helping build their skills in construction, grading, and fit evaluation.
  • Partner with Production and sourcing on new vendor onboarding, evaluating factory technical capability and machinery for knit construction.
  • Maintain and evolve technical records, sample history, and best-practice documentation to drive consistency and continuous improvement across the team.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • 7+ years of experience as a technical designer, including experience leading technical development for a major category independently
  • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Excel, and Flex PLM (or equivalent PLM systems)
  • Expert-level understanding of yarn types, gauges, stitch formations, and knit construction, including advanced/novelty knit structures
  • Proven ability to manage a full seasonal calendar across multiple styles and categories in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
  • Advanced knowledge of garment construction, patternmaking, grading, draping, and technical sketching
  • Strong command of fabric properties and their impact on fit, drape, and performance, with the judgment to solve for trade-offs
  • Extensive experience independently leading fittings and owning the fit approval process from concept to bulk
  • Demonstrated experience mentoring or leading junior technical designers
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders

Preferred:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, Technical Design, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
  • Extensive, hands-on experience with PLM systems, including workflow design or admin-level configuration
  • Deep familiarity with factory processes and machinery across domestic and international production, including experience evaluating new vendor capabilities
  • Knowledge of J.Crew brand standards and product expectations
  • Experience developing training materials or technical standards documentation for a team

We welcome you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes. Our passion is scouting life-long learners who are driven by curiosity, and who feel connected to our brands and share our desire to make an impact. We’re always seeking bright new talent who leverage their unique experiences to discover, grow and evolve with our teams.

Benefits + Perks

  • Health & Well-being - Eligible associates and family members receive medical, dental, prescription and vision insurance, family planning (fertility, adoption & surrogacy support), fitness discounts, medical travel and more.

  • Associate Discount - We love our products just as much as you do! That’s why we offer a great associate discount across all of our brands (J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Madewell).

  • Summer Fridays - In addition to our hybrid work model, we also close our office at 1:00 PM every Friday during the Summer months.

  • Community Impact - We support the communities where we live and work through our philanthropic efforts and the J.Crew Cares Program.

  • Winter Break - In addition to our PTO package, J.Crew Group offers a winter break at the end of December to eligible full-time associates at the Home Office to provide time to refresh and recharge.

Note: Availability of these benefits and perks may be subject to work location & employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements.

Salary Range: $86,400.00 - $111,700.00

At J.Crew Group (JCG) we aim to pay competitively for our company’s size and industry. The base salary offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region of work premises, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.  The base salary is just one component of J.Crew Group’s competitive total rewards strategy that also includes the opportunity for bonus, competitive benefits and perks.

One of our core focuses here at JCG is creating a community and culture that builds belonging. We are deeply committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, and we warmly welcome job applicants of all backgrounds.

 

JCG is proud to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all associates and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or citizenship, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, legally protected physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected under applicable law.

Skills Required

  • 7+ years of experience as a technical designer, including independently leading technical development for a major category
  • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Excel, and Flex PLM or equivalent PLM systems
  • Expert understanding of yarn types, gauges, stitch formations, knit construction, and advanced or novelty knit structures
  • Experience managing a full seasonal calendar across multiple styles and categories in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
  • Advanced knowledge of garment construction, patternmaking, grading, draping, and technical sketching
  • Strong command of fabric properties and their impact on fit, drape, and performance
  • Extensive experience independently leading fittings and owning fit approval from concept to bulk production
  • Experience mentoring or leading junior technical designers
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills, including influencing senior stakeholders
  • Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Technical Design, or a related field, or equivalent experience
  • Extensive hands-on experience with PLM systems, including workflow design or administrator-level configuration
  • Familiarity with factory processes and machinery across domestic and international production, including evaluating vendor capabilities
  • Knowledge of J.Crew brand standards and product expectations
  • Experience developing training materials or technical standards documentation
Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: New York, New York
1,071 Employees

What We Do

We think shopping should be fun. Actually, really fun. As in, scoring our exclusive collection of colorful, classic styles at prices that can’t be beat. A fan of lots of options in amazing fits? You’ve got it. Looking for some great accessories you won’t find anywhere else? Check. Need to get dressed for a day at the office, a weekend get-together or your next family vacation? Easy, preppy-inspired outfits are a part of our DNA, so we’ve got you covered. Whatever the occasion, we’ve got styles for the whole family that’ll have your crew looking good. Plus, there are always deals waiting for you—24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Similar Jobs

Liberty Mutual Insurance Logo Liberty Mutual Insurance

Commercial No Fault PIP/ Med Pay Adjuster - Claims Specialist II

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Insurance • Marketing Tech • Software • Analytics
Hybrid
9 Locations
40000 Employees
61K-113K Annually

PwC Logo PwC

Data Modernization [Health Services-Payer]-Senior Manager

Artificial Intelligence • Professional Services • Business Intelligence • Consulting • Cybersecurity • Generative AI
Hybrid
66 Locations
370000 Employees
124K-280K Annually

DFIN Logo DFIN

Venue Sales Associate

Fintech • Software
Remote or Hybrid
United States
1750 Employees
Remote or Hybrid
United States
1750 Employees

Similar Companies Hiring

Tastewise Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Big Data • Food • Retail • Software • Generative AI • Big Data Analytics
NYC, NYC
120 Employees
Scotch Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • eCommerce • Fintech • Payments • Retail • Software • Analytics
US
35 Employees
Golden Pet Brands Thumbnail
Digital Media • eCommerce • Information Technology • Marketing Tech • Pet • Retail • Social Media
El Segundo, California
178 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account