Staff Soft Goods Designer

Dephy•Boxborough, MA

About The Position

Dephy is looking for a candidate who has an urge to understand how things work and who gets excited when there is no known solution to the problem at hand. We are a curious, creative, and passionate team looking for a team member to help us tackle challenges at the forefront of wearable robotics. Help us transition mobility exoskeletons from labs and treadmills to the real world: cities, trails, and mountains. At Dephy, our mission is to empower people to move through life with confidence. That starts with building a team that shares our purpose. As a Staff Soft Goods Designer, you will independently drive the design and development of soft goods prototypes for wearable robotic devices, owning work from early concept through fabrication and iteration. This role blends creative problem-solving with deep technical expertise, requiring you to translate sketches, written requirements, and 3D models into high-quality, functional prototypes with minimal oversight. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, setting priorities, identifying risks, and proactively solving design and production challenges. Beyond hands-on design, you will build and maintain strong vendor partnerships, author and present comprehensive tech packs, and act as a de facto project owner—coordinating timelines, deliverables, and communication across cross-functional teams and external partners to ensure alignment and execution.

Requirements

Be a good human - get along with the team, build strong working relationships, and execute on Dephy’s Values.
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Textile Engineering, Product Design, or related field; or equivalent experience.
8+ years of hands-on experience designing and developing soft goods for wearable, medical, outdoor, or consumer products.
Thrives in fast-paced settings, communicating clearly, staying composed, and setting the standard for professionalism while driving teams to complete projects on time.
Strong skills in prototyping using cut-and-sew, heat-seal, and other soft goods fabrication techniques.
Able to manage prototyping projects and tasks autonomously with process documentation and accountability.
Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
Ability to collaborate and remain calm and professional in a fast-paced environment.
Experience using computer-controlled manufacturing equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters
Basic 2D and 3d CAD design tools: Adobe Illustrator or Solidworks.
Knowledgeable and aware of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Manage Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

Nice To Haves

Footwear experience is a plus, but willingness to learn footwear prototyping techniques is a requirement
Basic shop competency. Skills such as safety, cleanliness, organization, and familiarity with cutting and grinding tools and machinery.

Responsibilities

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with industrial design and engineering to build and test solutions and integrate soft goods seamlessly into complete products. As a senior designer, you may lead small teams and/or supervise the work of technicians for more complex soft goods projects.
Design Leadership: Lead the concepting, design, and development of innovative soft goods components across multiple product lines, from initial sketches to production-ready specifications.
Maintain a workspace, including managing inventory of supplies, cleanliness of the area, and maintenance of tools, safety equipment, and machinery.
Vendor Management: Build and manage relationships with global suppliers and manufacturing partners, ensuring quality, cost, and lead-time objectives are met.
Project Management: Plan, prioritize, and drive multiple soft goods development projects simultaneously, delivering on time and within budget.
Technical Documentation: Create comprehensive tech packs, BOMs, and construction details to communicate design intent to internal teams and external partners clearly.
Prototyping & Materials: Prototype using a wide variety of textiles, foams, plastics, with a restraint system to validate fit, performance, and manufacturability.
Small lot manufacturing: Support the Manufacturing team when needed, by building a limited number of soft goods products for early production.
Testing & Compliance: Ensure that goals are met through performance testing, user trials, and regulatory compliance activities for soft goods components.
Process Improvement: Identify and implement best practices for soft goods development, materials selection, and manufacturing methods.
Willingness to support other prototype efforts when needed