Materials Development Manager

- Lead fabric and trim development across Apparel, Gear, Footwear, and Logowear.

- Partner with internal teams and mill vendors to bring new materials to life-balancing performance, cost, and sourcing strategies.

- Stay current on material innovations and work with vendors to introduce relevant technologies.

- Ensure materials meet performance expectations through lab, garment, and wear testing.

- Oversee the color development process from selection to approval.

- Ensure all materials comply with applicable standards (NFPA, ANSI, EN, and country-specific regulations).

- Troubleshoot fabric issues with mills and ensure materials pass all required testing.

- Maintain accurate material specs, test data, and commercialization status in PLM and internal trackers.

- Collaborate with sourcing and development teams to manage timelines and communicate material readiness across categories.

- Consolidate overlapping materials where possible to streamline development and reduce complexity.

- Support ISO and internal documentation standards for materials.

- Act as a key technical resource for materials questions across product teams.

- Join product meetings to align on material needs, risks, and development timelines.

- Support special projects related to product innovation or team objectives.

- Lead and mentor a small team of material developers.

- Partner with the HK sourcing team to ensure vendor performance and material quality.

- Manage material budgets and support planning for seasonal and long-term development.

- Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support development and sourcing.

- Degree in a related field or equivalent experience in material or fabric development.

- 5+ years in technical fabric or trim development, preferably with a focus on high-performance or outdoor gear.

- Strong understanding of the end-to-end fabric lifecycle - from sourcing and dyeing to finishing and testing.

- Familiarity with fabric testing standards and regulatory requirements.

- Ability to identify and resolve color discrepancies and construction issues.

- Experience working with PLM systems, Excel, and fabric documentation tools.

- Experience with hardline materials (plastics or composites) is a plus.

Pay Range: $100,000- $115,000 annually plus bonus based on experience

5.11 Tactical offers a best-in-class benefits program including: medical, dental and vision insurance; a 401(k) program with employer match; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance. Additionally, employees can choose from several voluntary benefits including: Hospital Indemnity/Accident insurance; Flexible Spending Account/Health Saving Account; Employee Assistance Program; Paid Time Off/Paid Holidays/Sick Time; Casual Dress Code; and Employee Discounts.

*If you are a regular full-time employee working at least 30 hours per week, you and your eligible dependents may participate in 5.11's benefits program.*

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