Principal Softgoods Designer Developer

At ZOLL, we're passionate about improving patient outcomes and helping save lives.

We provide innovative technologies that make a meaningful difference in people's lives. Our medical devices, software and related services are used worldwide to diagnose and treat patients suffering from serious cardiopulmonary and respiratory conditions.

The Cardiac Management Solutions division of ZOLL Medical Corporation develops products to protect and manage cardiac patients, including the LifeVest® wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD), the ZOLL cardiac monitor, and associated technologies.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. At ZOLL, your work will help to ensure cardiac patients get the life-saving therapy they need. To date, the LifeVest WCD has been worn by hundreds of thousands of patients and saved thousands of lives.

ZOLL has been Pittsburgh's Manufacturer of the Year, one of Western PA's Healthiest Employers, and even one of Pittsburgh's Coolest Offices. But it's our unique opportunity to impact people's lives that makes ZOLL the ideal place to build your career.

Job Type

Hybrid

Job Summary

The Principal Soft Goods Designer and Developer will lead the development of soft goods and garment-related products, including research efforts and new technology development, by bringing a functional apparel design skillset and design methodology to the team. The Principal Soft Goods Designer and Developer will help the organization identify emerging technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes that will result in scalable and cost-effective patient-focused solutions. This position must work collaboratively across the organization and demands a high level of accountability and leadership to ensure that products are delivered on time and meet the requirements of the patient, product, and business.

Essential Functions

• Develop an understanding of functional and performance requirements of ZOLL technologies and IP through multidisciplinary team discussions.
• Procure resources to support internal design, development, and prototyping of functional apparel, soft goods concepts, and products, including new machinery, software, and an inventory of materials for design/prototyping.
• Lead design and development of products from concept to bulk production with repeatable and scalable capabilities, design for manufacturing solutions, and documented standard operating procedures e.g., techpacks, patterns, sources, costs and BOM.
• Establish and implements garment best practices and processes to align within the ZOLL R&D process.
• Facilitate ideation/brainstorming sessions to drive insights that result in data-to-design product creation, and leads cross-functional design reviews.
• Follow garment design process while collaborating/integrating mechanical engineering, Human Factors, and other cross-functional teams into the ZOLL development process.
• Execute concepts through rapid prototyping to refine internal development for testing, and communicates effectively with external design partners for manufacturing development and production.
• Prototype sewn products with appropriate methods that match (or adequately compare to) industry standards and manufacturing capabilities (current and future partners) including: initial concepts, quick "works-like" prototypes, refined "looks-like"/"works-like" prototypes for internal testing, and final "sew-by-samples" to transfer to production development.
• Coordinate and execute garment fit sessions and assists with Human Factors testing protocols to ensure garment-related metrics are appropriately collected.
• Delegate work to the respective internal or external teams, including but not limited to patternmaking/grading consultants, technical design consultants, and prototype sewers.
• Oversee techpacks, technical drawings, technical specs, tolerances, critical points of measure, and grade rules for all sewn products.
• Coordinate with patternmaker/grader to ensure pattern development and grading follow functional apparel needs and industry standards.
• Serve as point of contact (POC) for material vendors and manufacturing partners.
• Build SOWs and coordinates with external design partners to ensure product needs are met through any external collaboration.
• Utilizesan in-depth knowledge of technical textiles including knits, wovens, nonwovens, and trims and fasteners to establish sources and develop materials based on ZOLL-defined requirements.
• Establish criteria for material performance to ensure multiple sources meet ZOLL requirements and can be secured for garment production.
• Support Supplier Quality/Supply Chain by ensuring that parts and materials meet quality standards and supporting the supplier selection process.
• Estimates product material costs based on yields.
• Build and maintains a material library including sources, contacts, materials specs and physical samples along with internal/external characterization testing results.
• Establish and maintains relationships with material vendors for short-, mid- and long-term product development and supports critical needs such as material performance, material specifications, and cost reductions.
• Establish/maintain documents for external resources outlining ZOLL quality requirements ("brand/quality manual") for sewn products to supplement techpacks.

Required/Preferred Education and Experience

• BS Degree in Fashion Design, Apparel Design, Textiles, Industrial Design (or related field) required.
• Typically, 15+ years related industry experience with progressively increasing responsibility, including a track record of successful project completion.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience with a broad garment or apparel product development background, with a focus on compression garments design, medical garments and/or body-worn wearable electronics design for textiles and soft goods.
• Experience building soft goods or apparel products and delivering to market.
• Experience operating industrial sewing machinery including single needle, serger, and overlock machines.
• Experience drafting/draping and constructing technically sophisticated garments with complex patterns integrating multiple fabrics, trims, hardware, and electronics.
• Technical design experience directing patterns and techpacks including drawings, construction details, graded specifications, and Bill of Materials (BOMs).
• Strong understanding of patternmaking and grading to coordinate sizing and best fit in collaboration with a patternmaker/grader.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple work streams and deadlines across projects, reporting to different stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to multi-task projects, priorities, schedules, and deliverables.
• Experience in systems such as Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Illustrator.
• Medical Device or regulated industry experience is preferred.
• Pattern and 3D software such as Optitex, and/or 3D avatar systems experience is preferred.

Travel Requirements

• 10% Occassional Travel as Job Requires

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Standing - Occasionally
• Walking - Occasionally
• Sitting - Constantly
• Talking - Occasionally
• Hearing - Occasionally
• Repetitive Motions - Frequently

ZOLL is a fast-growing company that operates in more than 140 countries around the world. Our employees are inspired by a commitment to make a difference in patients' lives, and our culture values innovation, self-motivation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Join us in our efforts to improve outcomes for underserved patients suffering from critical cardiopulmonary conditions and help save more lives.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.