Senior Fabric R&D Specialist at FAM Brands in Los Angeles, CA

Founded in 2000, FAM Brands designs, manufactures, and sells men’s and women’s sportswear and active wear apparel to major retailers, big box stores, and specialty boutiques across the country and throughout the world. Our portfolio of proprietary brands features Marika, Wildfox, Three Dots, and Balance Collection, while a partial list of licensing partners includes Orvis, Jessica Simpson, Eddie Bauer, and Woolrich.

With the capacity to produce over 75 million units per year, our mission continues to be making top-quality apparel accessible to everyone at an impressive value and an irresistible price.

That's the FAM Brands difference.

ABOUT THE ROLE

FAM Brands is seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Fabric Research and Development Specialist to spearhead our fabric R&D initiatives. This critical role involves end-to-end fabric development, from knits to wovens, ensuring our Club and RockFit lines remain at the forefront of industry trends. As the internal fabric R&D expert, you will collaborate closely with design, product development, and approved factories to drive innovation and efficiency. Your proactive approach will ensure our fabric solutions not only meet but anticipate market demands and customer needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Fabric Analysis & Communication:

  • Conduct thorough analyses of fabric needs across all FAM Brands, providing actionable recommendations to design and product development teams.
  • Effectively communicate fabric characteristics and their potential applications to cross-functional partners, ensuring alignment with design goals.

• Trend Research & Development:

  • Stay ahead of industry trends by researching emerging knit and fabric trends, color innovations, and technological advancements.
  • Develop and propose new fabric concepts that align with brand aesthetics and consumer expectations.

• Customer & Market Understanding:

  • Demonstrate a deep understanding of both our customers and end-users, ensuring fabric choices enhance the customer experience and meet their functional and aesthetic requirements.
  • Translate customer insights into tangible fabric development strategies and solutions.

• Knowledge Sharing & Education:

  • Act as a mentor and resource, freely sharing your expertise in fabrics and educating team members and partners on fabric properties and their impact on design and production.
  • Lead workshops and training sessions to enhance the team’s knowledge of fabric technology and market trends.

• Pricing & Cost Structures:

  • Develop a robust understanding of our pricing models and market positioning to recommend fabrics that meet both quality and cost-effectiveness criteria.
  • Collaborate with the sourcing team to negotiate fabric costs and ensure alignment with budgetary constraints.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Work closely with design and product development to integrate fabric choices seamlessly into the product development process.
  • Provide multiple fabric options and detailed recommendations, ensuring each choice aligns with the cost structure and product requirements.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Experience & Expertise:

  • 5-7+ years of progressive experience in Fabric Research and Development, with a strong background in both wovens and knits.
  • Proven expertise in color trends and fabric technology, with a portfolio demonstrating successful fabric innovations.

• Industry Contacts:

  • Extensive network of contacts within textile mills across Asia, facilitating efficient sourcing and development of innovative fabrics.

• Project Management Skills:

  • Exceptional ability to juggle multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder requests simultaneously, maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.

• Hands-On Approach:

  • Highly proactive and hands-on, ready to dive deep into fabric development processes and manage a small, dynamic team dedicated to building our R&D capabilities.
  • Travel to factories in Asia to develop fabrics and collaborate with our Shanghai team may be required.

• Market Experience:

  • Prior experience working with apparel companies that sell to membership-based retailers (e.g., Costco, Sam’s Club) is advantageous.

• Educational Background:

  • A degree in Textile Engineering, Fabric Science, or a related field is preferred, although equivalent professional experience will be considered.

COMPENSATION

At FAM Brands, we are committed to fair and transparent compensation. Salary ranges for positions are based on job level, location, and market data. We offer competitive benefits and are dedicated to equal pay for equal work. Specific salary offers depend on each candidate’s qualifications and experience. FAM Brands also offers all employees participation in our annual bonus program (Non-Sales) or commission program (Sales).

Compensation Range

$85,000—$95,000 USD

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunities & Diversity

FAM Brands is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. FAM Brands makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Notice for Job Applicants

FAM LLC values your privacy. This notice outlines our practices regarding the personal information of job applicants in compliance with the CCPA.

What We Collect: We collect information you provide in your job application, including contact details, educational and employment history.

Purpose: We use this information to evaluate your application and manage the hiring process.

Disclosure: Your personal information may be shared with service providers assisting with recruitment and as required by law.

Your Rights: Under the CCPA, you have the right to access and request deletion of your personal information and to not face discrimination for exercising these rights.

For questions or to exercise your rights, contact recruiting@fambrands.com.

By applying, you acknowledge you understand our privacy practices.