Fabric Textile jobs in St Albans

We’re Pentland Brands: a global family business behind some of the world’s most iconic active and lifestyle brands. We bring integrity, energy and ambition to our work, setting high standards and striving to deliver great outcomes without ego.

With over 1,500 team members worldwide, we’re proud of our diverse, inclusive culture where everyone is encouraged to speak up, challenge thinking, create breakthroughs and collaborate openly. Our people are what set us apart, and we’re committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

Reports to: VP Design (Berghaus)

Location: London, Farringdon

Hours: 36.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday (4.30pm finish on a Friday)

The Senior Materials & Colour Designer Mission:

As our Senior Materials & Colour Designer, you sit at the centre of product creation — owning how materials and colour perform in real outdoor environments, not just how they look.

This is a creative leadership role grounded in technical material expertise. You shape the look, feel, and performance of product through informed material selection, ensuring fabrics, trims, and finishes deliver against durability, weather resistance, comfort, and end-use demands.

Working closely with Design, Product Development, and suppliers, you translate seasonal direction into material and colour solutions that are fit for purpose in outdoor conditions. You elevate product through a strong understanding of how materials behave across climates, terrains, and activities.

You lead colour and material execution end-to-end — from concept through to lab dips, testing, approvals, and production readiness — ensuring everything lands on time, at the right quality, and performs as intended.

How you'll drive success:

Colour & Material Direction

• Translate seasonal direction into performance-led colour palettes and material stories.

• Ensure colour works consistently across technical fabrics, coatings, and finishes.

• Partner with Design to deliver cohesive ranges and standout product moments.

• Lead colour development through lab dips, testing (e.g. colourfastness), and approvals.

Performance Materials Development

• Build and manage a materials toolbox focused on outdoor performance, including waterproof/breathable fabrics, insulation, abrasion-resistant textiles, stretch fabrics, and weatherproof finishes.

• Identify and develop materials that balance performance, durability, comfort, weight, and cost.

• Work with suppliers to create and refine materials suitable for real-world outdoor use.

• Partner with Product Development to ensure materials meet technical specs and production standards.

Application (CMF, Graphics & Finishes)

• Apply colour, material, and finish across trims, graphics, and branding with a focus on durability and performance.

• Guide and review graphic/print work to ensure consistency and quality.

Cross-Functional Delivery

• Work closely with Design, Product Development, and Merchandising to bring products to market.

• Act as the link between creative and technical teams on material performance and feasibility.

• Manage timelines across development, testing, and approvals.

Supplier & Process Management

• Build strong relationships with technical material suppliers and mills.

• Manage developments from briefing through to approval, ensuring performance and consistency.

• Oversee lab dips, strike-offs, and material submissions, including testing where needed.

Sustainability

• Integrate lower-impact materials that still meet performance and durability requirements.

Team Leadership

• Mentor and guide colour, print, and material designers.

• Provide clear briefs and feedback to ensure high-quality output.

What you'll need to thrive:

• 5–7+ years’ experience in colour, materials, or textile design within outdoor, performance, or technical product.

• Strong knowledge of performance materials, including waterproof/breathable fabrics, insulation, moisture-wicking textiles, abrasion-resistant constructions, and stretch materials.

• Understanding of how materials perform in real outdoor conditions.

• Experience building and working with material toolboxes in a commercial environment.

• Confident eye for colour and experience managing colour through to production.

• Experience working with suppliers and Product Development on testing and production readiness.

• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects.

• Collaborative mindset and solid commercial awareness.

• Proficiency in Adobe CC; PLM experience a plus.

Alongside a competitive salary and discretionary bonus, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, flexibility, and life outside work. This includes generous holiday allowance with the option to buy more, hybrid and flexible working, enhanced family leave, pension and financial protection, wellbeing support, travel schemes, and generous discounts across Pentland Brands and selected retail partners. You can find full details of our benefits and perks on our UK Benefits page.

The Interview Process

We want our interview process to feel clear, straightforward, and supportive. If your experience and expectations look like a strong match for the role, here’s what you can expect next:

• Talent Team Intro Call - A 30-minute video call with our Talent Team to get to know each other, talk through the role and your experience, and answer any questions you have.

• Experience Interview - A more in-depth interview (usually online) with the hiring manager to explore your skills, experience and approach, and how these align with the role, our principles, and our ways of working.

• Final Interview - A final in-person interview at our office, focused on deeper discussion and practical application, giving you the chance to meet more of the team and see Pentland Brands in action.