Textile Engineering Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Head of Textile Engineering at unspun

unspun is seeking a Head of Textile Engineering to lead our Textile Engineering (TE) team and drive excellence in our fabric development and production processes. This role offers the opportunity to lead a crucial technical team and work cross-functionally across our hardware and software development as well as our commercialization efforts and textile product development, contributing to unspun's mission of reducing global carbon emissions by 1% by enabling on-shore and on-demand production. Join us in revolutionizing a massively wasteful industry.

As unspun’s Head of Textile Engineering, you will be responsible for managing and developing our TE team while overseeing all production and testing activities across our facilities. This role combines technical expertise with strong leadership skills to ensure the successful execution of textile engineering projects, resourcing decisions, and team development.

This is an in-person role, 5 days per week at our Emeryville Microfactory & HQ.

• Lead and manage the Textile Engineering team, providing technical leadership, mentorship, and career development support

• Partner directly with our Hardware and Operations Org Leaders on daily factory floor prioritization decisions and capacity planning

• Define and maintain clear prioritization across the TE team, making timely decisions in ambiguous or rapidly changing situations

• Oversee production and testing activities across all machines in our Emeryville microfactory

• Establish and implement processes for project planning, root cause analysis, documentation, and knowledge transfer

• Lead the development and review of testing plans, fabric development rounds, and production runs

• Manage project timelines and resource allocation to ensure on-time delivery

• Apply industry best practices to support unspun's scaling and commercialization goals

• Provide hands-on technical guidance and mentorship, acting as a thought partner on problem-solving, test planning, and execution
  

• 4+ years of team management experience

• Strong background in textile engineering, particularly in woven fabrics

• Experience with engineering processes including experiment design, FMEA/RCA, and prototyping

• Knowledge of textile/apparel industry standards and requirements

• Understanding of mechanical engineering fundamentals

• Demonstrated experience mentoring teammates and supporting technical skill development

• Experience with apparel/textile prototyping, production, and QC processes

• Excellent people management and leadership abilities

• Strong prioritization and decision-making skills in ambiguous environments

• Strong communication skills, particularly in translating between strategic and technical information

• Proven project management capabilities

• Data-driven decision-making and risk management expertise

• Bias toward action—comfortable making decisions quickly and iterating

We're relentless in pursuing our mission, intentional in our decisions, and fundamentally human in how we work together. We celebrate small wins, speak up to benefit many, and aren't afraid to make mistakes along the way.

The salary range for this role is $157,000 - $210,000 annually, plus equity.

Benefits include:

• Self-regulated vacation policy

• Comprehensive (gold & platinum) health/dental/vision insurance

• Company sponsored 401k and FSA/HSA

• Monthly wellness or education grant up to $150

• Pre-tax commuter benefits

• Incentive stock options

unspun's compensation philosophy centers on transparency, fairness, and alignment with our company values. We aim to offer competitive pay that reflects both market standards and individual contributions, fostering an environment where employees feel valued and motivated. Our holistic approach ensures that compensation decisions are consistent and justifiable across all levels to attract and retain top talent, support employee growth, and maintain a positive organizational culture.

We won't roll our eyes if your socks don't match. We get it. But then, if you spend those extra few minutes in the morning matching your socks and shirt, we get that too. Our workspaces are sometimes spotless and sometimes chaotic, and we celebrate messy exploration. We work through complex problems but generate simple and elegant solutions. We strive to look at things differently, and never do anything solely because "that's the way it's always been done."

We're a team of designers and engineers, industry-veterans and serial entrepreneurs, artists and developers. We're aspiring chess masters and climbers, bakers and photographers. Originally spun out of Stanford and the University of Colorado, we now call the SF Bay Area home, with strong ties to Hong Kong. We are looking for teammates who share our desire to work on ambitious problems and leave the world better than we found it.

unspun is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to being a diverse team that reflects a broad range of background, thought, and experience. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, status as an individual with a disability, status as protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristics. Women, minorities, and people from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

This is an in-person role, 5 days per week at our Emeryville Microfactory & HQ.