Principal Material Engineer, Rainwear
About The Position
The Principal Rainwear and Insulation Engineer is Carhartt’s senior technical authority for rainwear and insulation materials. The role leads material architecture, performance requirements, testing standards, and commercialization pathways, while developing a long-term material pipeline by identifying, validating, and scaling technologies, polymers, chemistries, and manufacturing solutions. The objective is to improve durability, comfort, elemental protection, manufacturability, and consumer performance across outdoor, workwear, and FR/PPE products. Working across materials, product development, sourcing, and compliance, the Principal Engineer turns emerging material science into commercial solutions, builds strategic supplier partnerships, and develops future technology platforms. The role develops long-term material strategy and roadmaps; evaluates business cases and readiness for new technologies; serves as the company’s rainwear technical expert; leads material characterization, testing, validation, and failure analysis; and collaborates with internal teams and external partners on development and commercialization.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Textile Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- At least 10 years leading advanced material development and engineering.
- Deep expertise in polymers, fibers, textiles, chemistry, coatings, membranes, and material commercialization.
- Ability to travel to key partners and facilities.
- Experience translating technologies into commercial platforms.
- Strong cross-functional leadership and executive communication skills.
- Knowledge of testing metrics and performance standards.
- Full-spectrum supply-chain experience from polymer or fiber through finished garment.
- Demonstrated development leadership focused on innovation and quality.
- Strong strategic and analytical skills and aptitude.
- Ability to build and foster business relationships with cross-functional teams and internal and external partners.
- Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to listen and communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
- Ability to influence and negotiate.
- Excellent organizational skills, including prioritizing workload, delegating work, and managing multiple projects concurrently.
- Willingness to work some weekends if necessary.
Nice To Haves
- MBA or doctorate.
- Demonstrated experience bridging technical product creation and commercial strategy.
Responsibilities
- Develop and own Carhartt’s long-term material engineering strategy for rainwear, laminates, composites, membranes, polymers, insulation, and related chemistry.
- Create multi-year technology and material roadmaps aligned with business objectives.
- Develop technical and commercial business cases for material technologies, considering performance, cost, scalability, manufacturability, and supply-chain factors.
- Partner with industry leaders on technology, testing, and manufacturing.
- Explore advanced fibers, yarns, polymers, coatings, membranes, insulation, and emerging manufacturing technologies for rainwear and insulation systems.
- Establish Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), stage-gate processes, and commercialization pathways for new platforms.
- Serve as the company’s technical rainwear expert on polymers, textiles, coatings, chemistry, material performance, and construction applications.
- Lead material characterization, testing-methodology development, validation, and failure analysis.
- Partner with Merchandising, Design, Product Development, Materials, Color, Sourcing, Quality, and Compliance on relevant developments in assigned categories.
- Lead technical collaboration with global mills, fiber producers, chemical suppliers, and strategic development partners.
- Develop and implement testing methodologies to characterize product performance, identify failure modes, and validate performance claims.
- Drive intellectual property generation, including patents, proprietary material platforms, and exclusive supplier technologies.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
