Apparel Technical Design Manager

La Jolla Group is a leading apparel management company with a proven track record of building, growing, and supporting some of the industry’s most recognized and exciting brands. Through strong partnerships, innovative thinking, and operational expertise, we provide the infrastructure and resources brands need to thrive in a fast-moving marketplace.

About the role

Manage Technical Design team deadlines, workflow, and workload allocation while ensuring key development and production milestones are met. Create and maintain grade rules, size charts, and fit standards across assigned brands and categories. Coordinate fit models and related budgets, manage calendar dates, and oversee fit direction across product categories. Support the team with pattern corrections and continuously evaluate new technologies and processes that can improve efficiency and workflow.

Oversee assigned product categories from initial development through approved pre-production samples, ensuring consistent fit, construction, and quality throughout the sample process. Partner closely with suppliers and internal cross-functional teams to communicate fit and construction changes, resolve quality issues, and ensure products meet established brand standards. Support the quality control process, review styles that do not meet expectations, and provide guidance on corrective actions. Mentor, support, and provide technical direction to members of the Technical Design team.

Responsibilities

• Help create tech design calendar and manage team to ensure deadlines are met, including allocating workload, scheduling fittings, and maintaining trackers.
• Continuously monitor industry standard size charts and keep all brands in line with current market sizing, including creating grade rules and updates to current blocks.
• Work with warehouse manager to oversee QC process and maintain quality product.
• Maintain tech design budget including fit models’ compensation.
• Attend all fittings to help maintain corrections and overall fit consistency.
• Assist tech design team in pattern corrections using the latest industry software.
• Manage the tech design for all EB categories as well as part of the O'Neill Women’s Inline Categories including all fleece, bottoms, and blanks.
• Initial first proto style set up with specs to vendors through to final PP2 approval.
• Own the lifecycle per style (fit/construction) from start to finish.
• Create specs for all styles in PLM based off the designer’s sketches or samples.
• Measure all garments for their category and prepare and lead all fittings for assigned categories.
• Resolve and communicate fit and construction issues internally with all teams, and externally with vendors within production timelines and in a professional manner.
• Establish and maintain fit and construction standards and blocks to ensure brand consistency and quality.
• Manage and hit all deadlines along with communicating any issues with deadlines.
• Improve fit and quality through review of customer comments, sales feedback, and understanding competition.
• Understand how to read and correct patterns either through Tukatech (or similar software) and/or via other methods—taking photos, drawing on patterns, etc.
• Possess understanding of how grading works mathematically.
• Organize with time management and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate full understanding of specific category, historical issues, and fabrications.
• Exhibit strong communication internally and externally with vendors.
• Work closely with other team members to help manage overall workload for the department in addition to managing own workload.
• Act as a leader and mentor to guide other technical designers on the team.
• Handle high-volume and complex categories.

Requirements

• Knowledge of the product life cycle including development and production timelines.
• Ability to effectively identify and resolve problems.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to accuracy and detail.
• Ability to prioritize tasks appropriately to ensure deadlines are met.
• Ability to work independently and as a team player.
• Ability to wear many hats and juggle multiple projects at one time.
• Must be able to work effectively across multiple functions with business colleagues domestically and internationally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Technical Apparel Design or equivalent experience/training.
• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in Technical Design.
• Intermediate computer skills with emphasis on MS Office software, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.
• Computer patternmaking software experience is a plus (preferably Tukatech).
• PLM software experience is a plus.

Benefits

• Health, HSA, Dental, and Vision insurance options.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays.
• Generous discounts on apparel brands.
• Hybrid work schedule with early-release Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
• Occasional employer-provided lunches and year-round local events.

Physical Requirements

• Seeing: Must be able to see well enough to read reports.
• Hearing: Must be able to hear well enough to communicate with customers, vendors, and employees.
• Standing/Walking: Must be able to move about the company building.
• Climbing/Stooping/Kneeling: Must be able to stoop or kneel to pick up products.
• Lifting/Pulling/Pushing: Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds.
• Fingering/Grasping/Feeling: Must be able to type and use technical sources.