Head of Fabric Innovation

A large manufacturer of knits and woven fabrics is seeking a Head of Innovation to join the business. The Head of Innovation will lead the development of new products, design the end-to-end processes including the selection of raw material, machinery, preparation, fabric processing etc. The role will also involve troubleshooting at different stages of product development. This is a critical role for the business, and the Head of Innovation will report to the CEO.  This is a consultancy assignment with frequent travel to fabric mills in Asia. 

About the Business

Our client is a large manufacturer of all kinds of knits and woven fabrics catering to mainly athleisure and performance brands like Nike, Lululemon, Gap, etc. With mills all over the far east they have been investing aggressively in cutting edge technology, automation, robotics, and as part of their innovation team they are seeking a highly skilled fabric innovation consultant with strong techno-commercial experience.

Head of Innovation: The Role:

The Head of Innovation will be responsible for :

• Developing new products in athleisure/performance fabrics space (mainly knits and wovens)
• Planning for requirements of equipment and machinery, and selection of machines right from raw materials to finished product
• Setting the fabric innovation strategy aimed at new growth areas, designing the processes around raw material sourcing, warp preparation, machinery selection, weaving, etc right up to finished product stage
• Troubleshooting at different stages of process in development as well as bulk for achieving target fabric.
• Training and developing the team, help build a strong talent pipeline for the running of the innovation team.

Head of Innovation: The Person:

The ideal candidate

• Will come from manufacturing background with strong technical and commercial experience within knits and wovens
• Will have experience in fabric innovation within woven and knit fabric areas
• Will have a strong track record in demonstrating commercial success in achieving the right fabric quality at the right price.
• Will be experienced with machinery, equipment and processes in athleisure and performance fibre manufacturing

If this sounds like you, please apply with confidence