Fabric Research & Development Assistant, Wholesale Apparel
The Fabric Research & Development Assistant supports the fabric and textile team in the women's wholesale ready-to-wear business by managing fabric research, development, and sourcing activities. This entry-level role involves coordinating with design, production, and mills to track fabric samples, maintain development records, and assist with fabric preparation and organization to ensure smooth fabric development from research through pre-production.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Wholesale Women's Ready-to-Wear Apparel.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
Overview
Confidential Client is hiring an entry-level Fabric Research & Development Assistant (Fabric R&D Assistant) to support textile research, sampling, and fabric sourcing for women's wholesale ready-to-wear collections. This is an excellent opportunity to learn fabric development end-to-end while collaborating with design, production, and mill partners in Manhattan, NY.
Key Responsibilities
- Support seasonal fabric research and textile development across collections
- Partner with Design to understand seasonal fabric direction and development needs
- Communicate with domestic and overseas mills about pricing, minimums, widths, content and availability
- Request and maintain Fabric Data Sheets (FDS) for sampled and developed qualities
- Request swatches, headers, sample yardage and sub-proto yardage from mills and suppliers
- Assist with counter-sourcing and identifying alternative fabric options
- Track fabric submissions, approvals, sample yardage and development status
- Order and track sample yardage for market and seasonal development
- Receive, organize, label and distribute incoming fabric samples and yardage
- Cut and prepare fabric swatches and reference samples for design boards and internal libraries
- Assist designers with pulling fabric and yardage for sample cutting
- Maintain seasonal fabric binders, swatch libraries and digital development records
- Organize fabric selections by mill, category, season and division
- Maintain an organized sample yardage and fabric storage area
- Save and maintain fabric documentation within shared drives and systems
- Provide daily follow-up with mills and internal teams on outstanding fabric developments
- Support additional fabric, textile and product development projects as needed
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Textile Development, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Design, Product Development or related field preferred
- Internship, academic or entry-level experience in textiles, fabric development, sourcing, apparel production or product development preferred
- Basic understanding of woven and knit fabrics, fabric construction and textile terminology
- Strong interest in women’s ready-to-wear and the apparel development process
- Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail
- Strong follow-up skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Comfortable communicating with mills, vendors and cross-functional internal teams
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with PLM systems and/or Adobe Photoshop is a plus
- Strong aesthetic sense and interest in fabric, color, print and seasonal fashion trends
- Proactive, dependable and comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
Compensation & Work Type
- Hourly, non-exempt position (full-time)
- Salary range: $56,919 — $62,000 annualized (depending on experience and qualifications)
- Based in Manhattan, NY
Why Join
- Hands-on exposure to fabric development across women’s wholesale collections
- Work directly with designers, production teams and mills — domestic and international
- Opportunity to build a career path in textile development, sourcing and product development
What We Value
- Clear, professional communication with internal teams and external partners
- Strong organization and follow-through
- Curiosity about textiles and seasonal fashion trends
- A collaborative, team-first approach
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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