Technical Developer

OAK + FORT is a fashion and lifestyle brand that provides attainable luxuries consisting of modern essentials in full collections of womenswear, menswear, accessories, jewelry, beauty, and homeware. We are a female-founded and led business that is brought together by a passionate group of people with a natural bond over an aesthetic vision that radiates throughout our collections. From our first studio that opened in 2010 in Vancouver, BC, we now have 30+ locations across North America with a global e-commerce presence.
At the heart and core of it all, it’s our people that matter most. We offer a work ethos that is driven by endless passion, intellectual curiosity, and perennial creativity. Here you get the opportunity to influence our global strategy and growth, while working alongside incredibly talented people.

What You’ll Do:

As the Technical Developer, you will play a key role in the development of quality products, ensuring all styles meet the fit, construction, and aesthetic standards of the OAK + FORT brand. Working closely with the Design and Production teams, you will bring both technical expertise and a strong design sensibility to the development process — from first proto through to final approval.

This is a mid-level role suited to a candidate with a solid foundation technical design and fit, ideally with experience in tailored constructions, who is ready to take ownership of their category and contribute meaningfully to the brand’s evolution.
This will be an on-site position in our Vancouver office.
What You’re Responsible For:
TECHNICAL DESIGN    Develop on-the-body fits with the design team for seasonal product
Develop spec packages, measurements and grading for all styles
Create a block library for all product categories
Work directly with factories on style development
Communicate the fit and construction requirements and corrections clearly to factories, anticipating potential production issues, and work out any problems that arise
Problem solve fit and fabric issues as they arise
Coordinate approval of garments and specs
Maintain production deadlines and the organization/logistics of samples
Review each sample for quality, construction, and OAK + FORT standards, with a strong understanding of fit and finish requirements
Continuously develop, maintain and elevate fit standards
Support in the development of process and procedures for the Technical Development team
Support in the creation of standards manual for product categories, labels placement and QA testing
FIT    Continuously develop, maintain and elevate fit standards
Keep design concept in mind throughout the fitting process from the first proto through all stages of pre-production samples, to the final size sets and top of production samples
Support the Senior Manager, Technical Development in fittings and day-to-day work
Work closely with Design team from first proto fitting stage to establish desired look and fit of garment on model.
Develop on-the-body fits with the design team for seasonal product
Active participation in the fit sessions - give feedback on fit improvements
LEADERSHIP    Attain departmental goals for self
Support the Senior Manager, Technical Development in mentoring junior team members and contribute to the development of training resources
Improve and maintain departmental process Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to drive process consistency in the department as well as provide training documents for new hires
PRODUCT CALENDAR    Meet technical design timelines for development and production
Manage technical design timelines and prioritize workload
Create partnerships with cross-functional partners to ensure the collection is delivered on time and design direction is clear
OTHER    Other projects and…