Sampling Manager Jobs in Denver, CO (NOW HIRING)

ABOUT US

Stio® is an omni-channel mountain brand that designs, develops and sells beautiful, functional, and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories infused with the soul of the mountain lifestyle. With headquarters in Jackson, Wyoming, Stio draws inspiration from the surrounding Teton Range and offers product via Stio.com, catalog, B2B and its Mountain Studio® retail locations.

We live and love mountain life, and as such see ourselves as caretakers of the resources that provide it. We are proud partners of Protect Our Winters and the Conservation Alliance among many other organizations. We have a strong preferred materials platform, use Bluesign® approved textiles wherever possible, audit our supply chains for best practices, and operate our workplaces responsibly.

We think that outside is the best side and that you can’t improve on nature. It’s good for mind, body and soul, and it’s our responsibility to help enable access for all people, regardless of race, gender, beliefs, background or ability. We strive for inclusion at Stio and in our local and national communities.

YOUR ROLE

The Materials Manager (MM) at Stio® sources, develops, tests, colors, and commercializes materials and trims that complement the design, performance, cost, and quality objectives of the entire Stio® product range. The MM has key accountabilities in seasonal materials timeline management, materials planning and delivery, maintaining accurate collateral to support product development and delivery, and managing vendor relationships.

With technical expertise in fabric attributes and benefits, the MM collaborates with Design, Development, and PLM teams to align materials strategy with go-to-market objectives. The MM is a steward of Stio’s sustainability commitments — actively working toward a preferred materials adoption target of 75% or higher — and brings awareness of evolving consumer values to inform material selection and product storytelling. The MM reports to the Sourcing & Production Director and serves as a liaison to the Production team, supporting cross-departmental needs and adherence to company timelines. Domestic and international travel is required up to 20% of the development year.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Curate and maintain a library of high-quality, functional performance materials and trims aligned with brand positioning and product point of differentiation
• Source seasonal and carry-over fabrics and trims that meet design intent, technical requirements, and cost targets; manage print development including greige commit, strike-off management, and lab dip approval
• Partner with mills and suppliers to develop new materials, construction innovations, and sampling that create differentiated product; maintain and advance key supplier relationships including forecasting, costing, and timelines
• Own the seasonal materials timeline end-to-end: fabric selection through production readiness, including BOM integrity, proto yardage coordination, and VCM updates to PDD
• Maintain Centric PLM material records with complete and accurate field data to support PIM, wholesale workbooks, and DTC channel; conduct seasonal audits for field accuracy and blank cell remediation
• Manage material costing and staging; compile mill liabilities; coordinate sample yardage shipments to development factories
• Validate material test reports; collect and maintain Transaction Certificates; support preferred material certification audits (RDS, RWS, GRS, GOTS) in coordination with the sustainability program lead
• Support wholesale workbook accuracy review for woven materials and technical information each season
• Participate in POD team process: BOM scrubs, label decisions, and production readiness milestones
• Educate cross-functional teams on material features, benefits, and seasonal story during key milestone meetings
• Support auxiliary product ranges as needed; maintain active connection to full seasonal offering
• Adhere to annual Product Development budget with contribution to topline revenue, margin, and EBITDA goals

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or progress toward a degree in a relevant field (Textile Science, Apparel Design, Product Development, or similar)
• 3+ years of materials development and testing experience in apparel or an adjacent industry
• Demonstrated technical command of fabric performance characteristics across wovens, knits, down, and synthetic insulations
• Proven track record of successful material commercialization with on-time delivery
• Experience with PLM systems (Centric preferred) and data integrity best practices
• Effective multi-level communication skills and established cross-functional partnerships in a product creation environment

THE FINE PRINT

• Must be able to work in a stationary position 75% of the work day
• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Company Paid Long Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Programs
• 401k with Match
• Generous paid time off policies
• Gear test, perks and more

We provide competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives and benefits. The base salary range for this role is $80,000-$90,000. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of the range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.

This job description is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, we reserve the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed. Stio is an equal opportunity employer of all qualified individuals, including minorities, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans & individuals with disabilities.