Freelance Senior Knit Designer (Seamless and circular)

Overview:

MILTON is hiring a Senior Knitwear Designer to oversee design of an initial luxury sports knitwear line. This individual will be responsible for design of the initial collection of 4-6 pieces, centered around innovation, layering, functionality and a luxury material expression. The Senior Knitwear Designer will create original and unique designs, create knitdowns and mockups, tech packs, spec sheets and BOMs to share out to manufacturers. This role will also be responsible for managing the capsule’s technical design - leading fittings, all fit-related communication to internal and external teams, and upholding high standards of fit and construction quality. They will manage the launch product’s design and fit development from initial concept through to production. This role is tasked with creating fresh and unique knitwear that stands out in a saturated space, delivered through sustainable, luxurious materials and innovative techniques.

Role Scope, Responsibilities:

• Creates original designs, collecting samples for fit, constructions and yarn references
• Creates, builds and upkeeps detailed tech packs, spec sheets, BOMs, and clear, patternmaking- and machine knitting-informed fit comments 
• Hands off product to manufacturers, providing clarity for any areas of concern or confusion, answers vendor questions during development
• Receives, measures and evaluates samples, prepares for fitting sessions. Proactively reviews all construction against tech packs, prior fit comments, spec sheets and design changes
• Leads fittings; informing on-and-off tolerance specs, general fit intent adherence, construction issues
• Manages sample approval and comments. Communicates with factories on all fit, measurement and construction details of garments
• Creates grade-rules per brand-positioning + size range targeted
• Elevates the brand’s fit positioning, creating fit signatures long term, from the initial collection.
• Creates dev’t garment archive and maintain organization of samples’ fit development stage, comments, etc
• Works with Founder+ Product lead on vendor production quality standards and agreements, QC checklists + processes.
• Works with Founder + Product lead on costing, optimizations throughout development

Qualifications:

• Must be based in NYC and able to meet for occasional in-person design work sessions. Must have their own work space to work from balance of working hours.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in knitwear design. Minimum of 5 years’ experience in seamless knit garment design (circular + flat knitting). Active outerwear is a must as well as cut&sew activewear, seamless activewear and woven separates.
• Specialist in both active and ready-to-wear fit, understands ergonomics and general practices in active product design
• Minimum Bachelor Degree in Knitwear Design.
• Experience in a startup or growing company.
• Accountable, entrepreneurial, and reliable with strong work ethic and can-do attitude
• Positive, open and friendly team member
• Must be good at sketching in Adobe Illustrator and tech-savvy; working with Microsoft Office, Acrobat, Google Slides, Dropbox.
• Clear and succinct communication skills, ability to translate complex technical + design information in easily understood manner to overseas partners using patternmaking, draping and construction expertise.
• Highly organized and able to productively self-manage workloads and prioritize top deliverables
• Able to conduct occasional international calls with Asian, European + US vendors, attend technical design-related trade shows/events and/or drop in on local vendors, suppliers, or stores

The ideal candidate is:

• Detail-oriented and strives for excellence in everything that they do
• A self-starter capable of managing the full scope of product design and working directly with factories, yarn and fiber suppliers
• Deeply passionate about sustainability, innovation in the knitwear space, and doing things better than the status quo
• Experienced in fashion and understands how to bring an elevated sensibility into active silhouettes
• Has an eye for high-end tailoring, follows the latest in fit in the luxury fashion space as well as active space
• Has expert-level patternmaking and construction knowledge
• Has expert-level knowledge of seamless, circular, flat-knitting + full-garment knitting machinery, limitations, and opportunities
• Is accountable, knows the buck stops with themselves, and is always thinking proactively to avoid issues down the line
• Has an interest in activewear, knitwear, and luxury brands
• Is looking to bring their technical design expertise and high taste level to a pre-launch brand, getting in at the ground level