Product Development Engineer

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Job summary

This position serves as a member of the Polartec Global Product Development team and is responsible for the development and commercialization of new fabrics or laminate products to support revenue growth in any of the markets in which the company participates.

Main Responsibilities:

Provide direction on raw materials, machinery, processes and material construction techniques to create robust, manufacturing and market ready products in line with the company's product goals and strategies.

Create new products and process procedures based on research and evaluations as required to support the development of innovative fabrics.

Work jointly with manufacturing and supply chain to improve production performance and identify opportunities to reduce operating cost in knitting, dyeing and finishing areas and overall product raw material cost.

Review and approve formulas, procedures and specifications related to the commercialization of new products.

Allocate reasonable personal time to research new technologies and stay abreast of latest advancements related to field of textile development, particularly as it relates to knitted fabrics.

Qualifications:

Major in Textile Engineering, Dye and Finishing or related field or equivalent; or relevant professional experience in textile manufacturing and development.

5+ years work experience in textile product engineering, design or development in a manufacturing company. Circular and/or warp knitting experience is most preferred.

Experience with creating work plans for development trials, coordinating trials with departments in manufacturing operations.

Significant project management experience, including product cost, quality, manufacturability and design assessments.

Must have high level of curiosity, creativity, excellent decision making and problem solving skills, and demonstrated abilities to drive innovation.

Ability to travel as required;

Other Skills:

Understanding of Fiber, Fabric, and Garment testing protocols and relation to fabric formation and raw material choices.

Knowledge of analytical and problem solving tools and techniques.

Excellent interpersonal skills, communication and presentation abilities.

Comprehensive computer/data management skills.

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.