Soft Goods Designer
Skip
The job involves owning the design and development of garments that integrate with the MO/GO wearable robotic device, starting with a technical pant, covering pattern making, material selection, fit iteration, prototyping, and factory handoff. Skip is a 22-person early-stage start-up spun out of Google X in 2023 that is building wearable robotic devices to restore mobility and enable joyful movement experiences.
- Location
- California, San Francisco
- Arrangement
- Onsite
- Level
- Senior
- Employment
- Full time
- Posted
- 2026-04-16
- Date added
- 2026-09-15
- Last checked
- 2026-10-17
ABOUT US
Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement.
Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building products that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead.
Skip is a 22-person early-stage start-up that spun out of Google X in 2023. With deep cross-disciplinary expertise and key partnerships (e.g. with Arc’teryx) we are uniquely positioned to launch the first commercially successful wearable robotic device, the MO/GO, develop a platform to launch future Movewear products and transform millions of lives in the coming years.
THE ROLE
We are seeking a highly motivated and adaptable soft goods designer who is excited to solve problems that have never existed before — because the product category hasn't existed before.
You will own the design and development of the garments that integrate with the MO/GO, starting with a technical pant built to work with our wearable robotic device. This isn't a fashion brief. It's a functional systems design challenge: the garment is part of the product. You'll work hand-in-hand with our mechanical and human factors engineers to make sure fabric, fit, and device work as one.
Some of the specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to
- Lead the design and technical development of the MO/GO integration pant from concept through production — pattern making, material selection, fit iteration, and factory handoff
- Define the functional requirements of the garment in close collaboration with our mechanical, firmware, and human factors teams — attachment points, range of motion, load paths, and sensor placement all live in your brief
- Select and qualify technical fabrics and materials for performance bottoms: stretch wovens, knits, softshells, and any novel material that earns its place on the body
- Build and iterate physical prototypes rapidly; run fit sessions with internal wearers and external test users and translate feedback into pattern and material updates
- Own the Bill of Materials, tech packs, and construction specs to a standard that factories can execute reliably at scale
- Establish and manage relationships with fabric mills, trims suppliers, and cut-and-sew factories; understand lead times, MOQs, and what it takes to actually get something made
- Contribute to the long-term Movewear soft goods platform — define the design language, material standards, and construction principles that future products will build on
- Collaborate with our Arc'teryx partners and bring that standard of craft and technical rigour to everything you make
- Wear prototypes on hikes, in the gym, and around the office — your body is a test rig
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 8+ years' experience in soft goods design and development, with a focus on technical bottoms
- 5+ years at an outdoor, performance, or technical apparel company — you know what makes a pant work in the field
- Expert-level knowledge of technical fabrics for lower body: stretch wovens, softshells, knits, and the trims and hardware that go with them
- Strong pattern making and garment construction fundamentals — you can read and mark up a pattern, not just a mood board
- Experience writing tech packs and managing factory relationships through production
- Ability to relocate to work at the Skip Bay Area office
- Sense of humour, tolerant of Aussie & Canadian spelling
BONUS POINTS
- Experience designing garments that integrate with hardware, bracing, or orthotic devices
- Familiarity with human factors, ergonomics, or biomechanics as they apply to garment design
- Experience with medical or assistive device adjacent apparel (compression, prosthetics interface, exosuit softgoods)
- Experience in start-up or early-stage product environments
- Personal motivation to improve human movement
- Taylor Swift fan. Good taste in background music :)
This is a full time hybrid position working at the Skip office in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.
About Skip
Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement. Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health.
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