Senior Specialist, Manufacturing Efficiency, SMV & YY

Role Purpose

Establish and scale a newly created global Engineering Efficiency capability combining YY / yield engineering and SMV engineering. Build the standards, guardrails, rate cards, processes, data and governance required to improve material utilization, validate labor content and embed repeatable engineering-efficiency practices across apparel product development and manufacturing.

Apply pattern, construction, material and manufacturing expertise together with GSD, marker / nesting optimization, software and AI to identify, validate and scale efficiency opportunities. Partner closely with Product Engineering / Commercialization, Cost Engineering and vendors, influencing decisions through technical credibility and evidence while maintaining clear separation from end-to-end product costing.

Key Accountabilities

1. Establish Global YY / SMV Standards & Governance

·       Build and own the global YY / SMV framework, including methodologies, decision guardrails, validation criteria, operation-level rate cards, benchmarks, exception rules and governance.

·       Define where YY and SMV evaluation is embedded in product development and the technical evidence required to validate, accept, reject or escalate opportunities and exceptions.

·       Roll out the capability globally through clear processes, tools, training and calibration, maintaining consistent standards while allowing justified product, material and manufacturing exceptions.

·       Lead seasonal reviews of performance, exceptions and learnings; refine guardrails, rate cards, benchmarks and training so standards continuously improve.

2. Product, Yield & Labor Engineering Validation

·       Use advanced pattern, grading, construction and material expertise to assess pattern geometry, marker efficiency, fabric constraints and engineering alternatives that influence material utilization.

·       Validate operation schedules / operation bulletins and SMV assumptions using product construction, operation sequence, equipment, manufacturing method and GSD / approved work-measurement principles.

·       Collaborate with Product Engineering / Commercialization specialists and vendors on new, complex or exception cases, distinguishing genuine product constraints from method, productivity or data issues before standards are changed.

·       Protect fit, function, aesthetics, performance, quality and manufacturability when recommending yield or labor-efficiency changes.

3. Optimization, Technology & AI

·       Identify opportunities to improve material utilization and reduce SMV through pattern engineering, marker optimization, construction changes, method engineering, work aids, equipment, automation and manufacturing innovation.

·       Use tools such as Gerber AccuMark / nesting, ShapeShifter and other approved optimization platforms, alongside GSD and emerging AI capabilities, to test scenarios and establish credible benchmarks.

·       Apply engineering judgment to separate theoretical system optimization from solutions that are practical, repeatable and scalable in manufacturing.

·       Continuously explore software, automation and AI developments that can improve prediction, analysis, accuracy, speed or scale of YY / SMV optimization.

4. Opportunity Validation, Value & Learning

·       Build and manage a visible pipeline of YY / SMV opportunities with clear baselines, technical rationale, validated impact, applicability, dependencies and risks.

·       Lead or support structured vendor trials to validate pattern, marker, method, equipment or automation changes before broader deployment.

·       Convert validated learning into updated standards, rate cards, guardrails, benchmarks and training so benefits can be repeated across relevant products and vendors.

·       Provide credible YY / SMV inputs to Costing and business decisions while Costing retains ownership of the broader costing framework.

5. Technical Influence & Capability Building

·       Act as a recognized specialist who constructively challenges pattern, marker, operation and SMV assumptions through strong product knowledge, GSD / work-measurement expertise and manufacturing credibility.

·       Train and calibrate Apparel Engineering associates and vendor pattern, CAD and industrial-engineering teams on YY methodologies, tools, guardrails and evidence expectations.

·       Build partnerships across brands, Apparel Engineering, Commercialization, Cost Engineering, materials, vendors and technology providers to drive adoption without formal authority.

·       Use data, benchmarks, exceptions and case learning to communicate priorities, build organizational knowledge and strengthen global consistency.

Leadership & Core Competencies

·       High technical credibility with strong product, pattern, construction and manufacturing knowledge.

·       Analytical, curious and improvement-oriented; connects product engineering, industrial engineering, software, automation and AI to find better ways of working.

·       Confident influencer who constructively challenges assumptions and builds alignment through evidence rather than hierarchy.

·       Self-directed and organized, with the urgency, discipline and global collaboration skills to establish and scale a new capability.

Technical Skills & Knowledge

·       Advanced pattern engineering and grading knowledge, including the relationship between pattern decisions, marker efficiency and material consumption.

·       Strong construction, material and manufacturing knowledge, including constraints affecting nesting, production methods and labor content.

·       Strong SMV / standard-time knowledge, including operation breakdowns, method study, performance rating, allowances and GSD or equivalent predetermined-time methodology.

·       Hands-on knowledge of CAD / marker and optimization platforms such as Gerber AccuMark and ShapeShifter or comparable tools.

·       Ability to interpret marker, consumption, operation, SMV and exception data; build benchmarks and validate optimization outcomes.

·       Working knowledge of automation, software and AI applications relevant to yield and labor engineering.

Qualifications & Experience

·       7+ years of relevant experience across product pattern / engineering, industrial engineering, SMV / work measurement, CAD / marker optimization, yield engineering or related technical roles.

·       Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Product Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Textile Technology, Pattern Technology or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

·       GSD Practitioner certification, formal GSD training or demonstrated practical GSD knowledge; advanced certification is preferred.

·       Demonstrated experience connecting product, pattern and manufacturing decisions to fabric yield and/or labor efficiency, with practical use of technical data to validate recommendations.

·       Experience with apparel factories, vendor CAD / pattern / IE teams and cross-functional product stakeholders across multiple vendors, categories or regions is strongly preferred.

·       Experience leading technical projects, training or calibration and influencing without direct authority; fluent written and spoken English required.

Role Scope & Decision Authority

·       Senior Individual Contributor with no direct people-management accountability; responsible for establishing and scaling the combined YY / SMV technical capability within delegated functional direction.

·       Makes technical recommendations and validation decisions within approved methodologies and guardrails; escalates material product, cost, quality or governance risks.

·       Leads assigned global rollout, seasonal reviews, validation studies, vendor trials, calibration, training and optimization workstreams without formal authority over participating teams.

·       Owns YY / SMV engineering standards, technical validation and learning; partners with Product Engineering / Commercialization on product decisions and Costing on downstream costing application.