Design Engineer - PPE Soft Goods Developer

Full Time Professional Headquarters - Goleta, Goleta, CA, US

14 days ago Requisition

Salary Range: $70,000.00 To $ Annually

We are seeking an experienced Soft Goods Design Engineer to lead the development of innovative life-safety equipment for the professional rope rescue, rope access, work-at-height, and technical rescue markets
. This role will be responsible for the design, prototyping, testing, validation, and production launch of textile-based products including harnesses, positioning belts, gear bags, packs, lanyards, and specialized load-bearing equipment used in critical life-safety applications.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in soft goods product development (PPE, harnesses, straps, bags) and is comfortable working across the entire product lifecycle—from concept generation and prototype fabrication through testing, certification, manufacturing implementation, and product launch. This individual will regularly create and sew prototypes, conduct structural and dynamic testing, generate technical documentation, and drive cross-functional design reviews while ensuring products meet stringent safety, performance, and manufacturability requirements.

This position requires a hands-on engineer who enjoys building, testing, and continuously improving products that life-saving professionals trust with their lives.

• Lead the design and development of soft goods products (harnesses, belts, etc.) and textile-based systems for rope rescue, rope access, and work-at-height applications.
• Develop innovative solutions that balance performance, durability, ergonomics, manufacturability, weight, and cost.
• Drive projects from concept through production release while meeting schedule and business objectives.
• Develop detailed product specifications and engineering requirements.
• Evaluate competitive products, field feedback, and emerging technologies to guide product innovation.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership on soft goods development projects.

• Create, modify, and refine prototypes using industrial sewing equipment and related fabrication tools.
• Develop prototype harnesses, belts, bags, load-bearing textile assemblies, and integrated textile-hardware systems.
• Establish construction methods, stitch patterns, reinforcement strategies, and assembly techniques.
• Iterate designs rapidly based on testing results and stakeholder feedback.

• Plan and execute laboratory and field-testing activities.
• Operate drop towers, tensile test machines, cyclic loading equipment, and custom test fixtures.
• Develop and validate test methods and acceptance criteria.
• Analyze structural performance, durability, and failure modes.
• Generate comprehensive test reports and present results to stakeholders.
• Support third-party certification testing and compliance efforts.

• Develop and maintain engineering documentation including:
  • Tech Packs
  • Bills of Materials (BOMs)
  • Product Specifications
  • Construction Drawings
  • Manufacturing Instructions
  • Design Verification Plans and Reports
  • Test Reports
  • Risk Assessments
  • Engineering Change Documentation
• Create technical presentations to communicate project status, design decisions, testing results, and recommendations.
• Ensure documentation packages are complete and production-ready for manufacturing partners.
• Collaborate with domestic and international manufacturing partners to optimize product quality and production efficiency.
• Support pilot builds, production launches, and process validation activities.
• Review manufacturing samples and first articles for compliance with engineering requirements.
• Investigate product quality issues and implement corrective actions.
• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) improvements and cost-reduction initiatives.

• Lead formal design reviews throughout the product development process.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Quality, Operations, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams.
• Participate in risk assessments, failure investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support customer evaluations, field trials, and user feedback sessions.
• Present…