Apparel Materials & Trim Developer, Advanced

Who We Are:

At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. 

Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation.

Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:  

• Runner First 
  • We act in the best interest of the runner
• Word is Bond 
  • We do what we say we’ll do 
• Champion Heart  
  • We give our all in everything we do  
• There is no “I” in Run 
  • We stay generous with our humanity 
• Keep Moving 
  • We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!

We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement - because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.   

Your Job:

As the Apparel Materials Trim Developer, Advanced at Brooks, you play an important role in supporting innovation by applying athlete insights and contributing to world-class material and trim solutions that advance the Apparel line. You will help bridge the gap between long-term material development and quick-to-market products by partnering globally with mills, factories, athletes, and the inline team to develop and inform advanced material concepts. Using your extensive knowledge of different material and trm constructions and processes, you will help create advanced concepts from yarn to concept and hand-off to the in-season team for production scaling. Over the next two to three years, you will support the in-depth exploration of material execution that enhance performance and comfort for the run, contributing insights and independent analysis to inform future development.

• Drive apparel material and trim innovation approximately two to three years ahead of inline development by independently executing advanced development work and partnering closely with the Manager, Material Development and Advanced Innovation Design.
• Execute and iterate advanced material concepts from early exploration through validated handoff to inline teams, ensuring readiness for commercialization.
• Collaborate with T2 mills and T1 vendors to assist in the co-creation of new constructions, finishes, and technologies that meet Brooks’ functional, aesthetic, and brand standards.
• Maintain a toolbox of items and keep up to date a reference library of textiles and trim concepts including FDS, lead time and cost.
• Work with vendors to request, track, and evaluate material developments aligned to design and performance needs.
• Utilize technical material specification and identification skills to make informed decisions to deliver effective outcomes for performance concepts and innovations.
• Collaborate closely with Design, Development, PLM, and Product teams to identify long-lead material opportunities and align resources effectively.
• Work with Asia materials team for testing standards, optimizing mill and vendors labs for extended testing.
• Drive rapid prototyping through in-house sewing labs and external vendors to enable proof of concept, wear testing, and athlete evaluation in collaboration with the Run Research Lab.
• Use working knowledge of industry testing standards to influence development decisions and deliver effective outcomes in performance attributes to enhance the run.
• Collaborate with the Corporate Responsibility team to ensure effective evaluation and compliance of new sources in line with Brooks’ established code of conduct.
• Travel frequently to work hands-on with athletes, attend industry trade fairs, and collaborate on-site with T1 and T2 partners to advance and validate material concepts.
• Support broader Materials Team priorities in between project demands, contributing to cross- functional initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in Textile Design or related field; equivalent years of experience can be considered in place of degree(s)
• 5+ years of experience in engineering, troubleshooting, and testing performance knits and wovens
• Deep understanding and proven success working with textile testing methods, a range of material constructions, and material processes
• Proficient in PLM systems to build, support, and maintain digital material library
• Computer proficiency with office software: MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Keynote, and Illustrator
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence in a collaborative, cross-functional group to meet strategic objectives
• Effective project management skills and experience, including the ability to articulate goals and objectives, manage projects independently, and the ability to network and utilize internal and external resources
• Keen attention to detail in planning, organizing, and execution of tasks (self and through others), while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all the pieces fit together and affect one another
• Outstanding communication skills, verbal and written, with advanced ability to communicate new ideas, concepts, and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholders
• Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots.”
• Curious and open-minded; always open to a challenge, inventive, and creative with the ability to challenge the status quo – always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details
• Demonstrated ability to develop highly positive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds, resulting in effective working relationships across the company
• Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community
• Travel 10% throughout the year, domestically and internationally
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!

Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $91,931 - $137,896 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. 

Other:

Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!  

Benefits - Including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.  

Paid Time Off - Brooks offers generous time off, including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, and paid sick and parental leave. 

Bonus - In addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.   

Perks - Including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits. 

Location - You will spend 4 days per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.

At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), caste, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.