Manager of Fabrics

Job Description

Job Description

Why J.McLaughlin?

J.McLaughlin was founded in 1977 by brothers Kevin and Jay McLaughlin with a mission to create an American Sportswear brand that offered two key components : classic clothing with current relevance and a retail environment that has a neighborhood feel. The J.McLaughlin brand has always been more about style than fashion : straightforward, unpretentious, and devoid of the superfluous. Our clothing is rooted in the tradition of sport, work, and play. With over 150 retail locations, each store is entirely unique, attentively designed to reflect the town's color, character, and architecture. This attention to detail extends to exemplary customer service and local philanthropic engagement.

Our “Culture of Kindness” creates an environment with respect, politeness, consideration, and empathy that creates a family like atmosphere and focuses on giving back to the community. The company has an entrepreneurial spirit which fosters great experience and career opportunities, complemented with our great incentive benefits programs.

Overview

J.McLaughlin is a specialty American Sportswear and Accessories brand headquartered in New York. J.McLaughlin has the reputation for being “local and loyal”, building meaningful relationships within each community and providing customers with highly personalized service. We are a growing company with a focus on our culture of kindness, cultivating an exceptional atmosphere in which to work and shop.

We are looking for a Fabric R & D Manager who is responsible for leading the research, development, testing, and innovation of fabrics to support product design, performance, sustainability, quality, and cost targets. This role bridges design, sourcing, mills, and production to ensure all fabrics meet aesthetic, functional, and commercial requirements while maintaining brand standards.

This role is primarily based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Key Responsibilities

Fabric Innovation & Development

• Lead seasonal fabric research aligned with brand direction, performance needs, and market trends.
• Partner with design teams to translate creative vision into viable fabric solutions.
• Develop new fabrications including knits, wovens, performance, sustainable, and specialty textiles.
• Develop and maintain fabric calendars to track fabric development, sampling, and procurement timelines

Mill & Supplier Partnership

Testing, Quality & Compliance

Cross-Functional Collaboration

What we are looking for

Skills & Requirements :

Experience

Technical Skills

Soft Skills

Equal Opportunity

J.McLaughlin is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.