Sr. Apparel Product Fit Engineer

Job Description

Sr. Apparel Product Fit Engineer | Columbia Sportswear

The Tone:
This is a hybrid role at Columbia Sportswear, based out of its headquarters near Portland, Oregon. Columbia Sportswear develops apparel, and this role is crucial for optimizing garment fit and manufacturability. You will contribute to the product development process by ensuring products meet the needs of the end-user for fit and comfort, while also considering the feasibility of manufacturing.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Hybrid, Portland, OR

• Team: Part of Product Creation, collaborating with Fit Engineering leadership.
• Mission: Optimize garment fit and manufacturability, remaining true to the product and end-user needs.
• Tech Stack: PDM systems, Patternmaking and grading software

What You’ll Actually Do
• Partner: Collaborate closely with Merchandising, Design, Product Development, and global teams to deliver a seamless apparel engineering process.
• Lead: Lead and participate in fit sessions, ensuring consistency across styles and categories throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Validate: Validate product fit and comfort for consumers, clearly communicating fit-related recommendations and solutions to domestic and international partners.
• Establish: Collaborate with Fit Engineering leadership to establish and maintain fit standards, measurement parameters, quality requirements, and construction specifications.
• Document: Build and maintain accurate measurement charts in PDM, review and approve graded size specifications from factories, and provide fit leadership during prototype evaluations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree, relevant certification, or equivalent combination of education and experience in patternmaking, garment engineering, fit engineering, or apparel development.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional experience, preferably in patternmaking, garment engineering, fit engineering, or apparel development, with 8+ years in fit engineering/apparel development preferred.
• Skills: Strong knowledge of patternmaking, grading, garment construction, fit engineering, and apparel manufacturing processes; familiarity with PDM systems and measurement specification management; strong data analysis, measurement interpretation, and problem-solving skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Bonus: Patternmaking and grading software skills; experience supporting apparel development in Asia and/or large-scale factory environments; understanding of outdoor apparel consumers, retail channels, and industry trends.