Sr Director, Technical Design & Quality - Old Navy

About the role

The Head of Old Navy Technical Design & Quality will lead the execution of fit fidelity, quality, and product integrity for the Old Navy brand, ensuring design aesthetics are realized with precision through industry-leading fit standards and quality excellence. This role is accountable for driving operational excellence across Technical Design and Quality, modernizing ways of working, and embedding customer-centric fit practices powered by digital innovation. The position oversees technical design and quality assurance across Adult, Kids, and Baby, and plays a critical role in translating enterprise strategy into brand-level execution. The role requires strong collaboration with cross-functional brand and sourcing partners, as well as external vendors, to enhance vendor capability, ensure adherence to Gap Inc. quality standards, and resolve fit and quality issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead brand-level fit strategy in close partnership with Design to ensure aesthetic intent is executed with precision, leveraging customer feedback, return insights, and body data to deliver consistent, customer-centric fit across categories and sizes.
• Own and evolve fit block standards and grading integrity, ensuring alignment to enterprise fit frameworks and improving fit accuracy.
• Drive technology innovation through adoption of Digital Product Creation tools (3D, virtual fit, digital prototyping) and AI-enabled solutions to improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Govern fit and quality assurance processes across development and production, reducing rework, defects, and fit-related returns.
• Own operational excellence through KPI delivery, including fit approval cycle time, first-pass fit approval rate, return reduction, defect rate, and tech pack accuracy.
• Implement and enforce standardized operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency and scalability across teams.
• Partner with Product Development and Sourcing to drive vendor readiness and capability across fit, quality, and product integrity, while advancing cost engineering to deliver optimal cost, trend-right product, and margin alignment.
• Lead vendor performance through scorecards and continuous improvement programs, ensuring accountability in fit fidelity, quality, and delivery.
• Drive customer-centric product integrity through use of returns data, fit feedback, and insights to continuously improve conversion rates.
• Lead and develop a high-performing Technical Design and Quality organization of 30+, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Role model change management efforts, driving adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working across teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design or related field preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in Technical Design required, with additional experience in Quality Assurance.
• Deep expertise in fit analysis, body morphology, pattern engineering, grading, garment construction, and manufacturing processes across Adult, Kids, and Baby.
• Proven experience driving digital and technology adoption (3D, PLM, AI tools) within product development.
• Strong operational mindset with ability to translate product and customer metrics into product improvements.
• Experience leading vendor management, including scorecards and capability building.
• Demonstrated ability to lead transformation and change management initiatives.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills across matrixed, global organizations.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Expert in apparel manufacturing, with comprehensive knowledge of end-to-end production processes, garment construction, factory capabilities, and global sourcing, enabling informed decision-making to optimize fit, quality, and cost.
• Ability to travel globally.

Qualifications

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Expert in apparel manufacturing, with comprehensive knowledge of end-to-end production processes, garment construction, factory capabilities, and global sourcing, enabling informed decision-making to optimize fit, quality, and cost.
• Ability to travel globally.

Skills

• Expert in apparel manufacturing, with comprehensive knowledge of end-to-end production processes, garment construction, factory capabilities, and global sourcing, enabling informed decision-making to optimize fit, quality, and cost.
• Ability to travel globally.

Benefits

We’ll send you to our application portal to get started.

Location: San Francisco, CA, US 94105

We’ll send you to our application portal to get started.