Job Description

Kform is a next-generation defense manufacturer helping leading defense and dual-use startups turn advanced technology into producible hardware. We work across design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, quality, and production readiness to move critical products from concept to fielded reality.

We are recruiting builders who want to break the mold and develop solutions that meet the rigorous adaptive timelines that the defense industry demands. The battlefield waits weeks, not years.

The right person for this role combines strong hands-on sewing ability with the practical skills to develop new soft goods products. You may come from tactical gear, outdoor equipment, bags and packs, technical sewing, sample making, or another demanding soft goods environment.

At Kform, you will work across the full process: develop, pattern, cut, sew, prototype, test, document, improve, and produce.

The Role

You will develop, prototype, and manufacture expeditionary soft goods for defense and dual-use customers.

This role is split between product development and production sewing. You will turn customer requirements, sketches, reference products, and engineering constraints into durable, manufacturable products.

Products may include:

• Expeditionary bags and packs
• Equipment enclosures and protective covers
• Pouches and internal organizers
• Straps, harnesses, and load-carriage components
• Webbing assemblies
• Soft goods integrated with electronic or mechanical hardware

This is a hands-on role. You should be comfortable moving between patterns, cutting tables, industrial sewing machines, prototypes, BOMs, customer requirements, and production work instructions.

What You Will Do

• Develop and modify patterns for bags, pouches, straps, covers, and other sewn assemblies.
• Build mockups and prototypes to evaluate fit, function, durability, accessibility, and manufacturability.
• Cut and sew technical fabrics, webbing, foam, binding, zippers, hook-and-loop, and hardware.
• Operate industrial sewing equipment for prototype development and production builds.
• Research materials, hardware, construction methods, and existing commercial or military products.
• Create and maintain BOMs, cut lists, patterns, dimensions, and production documentation.
• Test prototypes, identify problems, and rapidly iterate designs.
• Translate prototype changes into updated patterns and repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate with engineers when soft goods integrate with electronics, batteries, radios, frames, antennas, cables, or other hardware.
• Work with manufacturing and quality to improve repeatability, workmanship, material usage, labor time, and cost.
• Inspect finished products for dimensions, alignment, stitch quality, hardware installation, and overall workmanship.
• Support prototype, small-batch, and production builds as program needs require.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone with real hands-on sewing capability who also wants to understand and improve the product.

This is not purely a production sewing position, and it is not a desk-based design role.

You should be able to take an incomplete idea, develop or modify a pattern, build the product, identify what does not work, improve it, and document the result so it can be built again.

The best fit is curious, practical, detail-oriented, mechanically minded, and biased toward action.

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in industrial sewing, soft goods development, sample making, tactical gear, outdoor equipment, bags and packs, or a related field.
• Strong hands-on industrial sewing capability.
• Experience with walking-foot or similar industrial sewing machines.
• Experience with technical fabrics, webbing, foam, zippers, binding, hook-and-loop, and hardware.
• Ability to work from patterns, dimensions, drawings, BOMs, cut lists, samples, and work instructions.
• Understanding of seam construction, reinforcement, binding, zipper installation, and webbing attachment.
• Ability to troubleshoot sewing and construction problems.
• Strong attention to workmanship, consistency, and detail.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with engineering and manufacturing teams.

No specific college degree is required. Demonstrated skill, judgment, craftsmanship, and the ability to build excellent products matter more.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing tactical gear, backpacks, load-carriage equipment, outdoor equipment, or similar high-performance soft goods.
• Pattern development or modification experience.
• Experience taking products from prototype into repeatable production.
• Experience creating BOMs, cut lists, or assembly documentation.
• Familiarity with digital pattern or illustration tools.
• Experience with laser cutting, bartack, post-bed, binding, or other specialized equipment.
• Familiarity with Berry-compliant materials, military textiles, webbing, and hardware.
• Experience integrating soft goods with mechanical or electronic hardware.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, outdoor equipment, or high-mix/low-volume manufacturing.

Skills That Matter Here

• Industrial and technical sewing
• Soft goods product development
• Pattern development
• Prototype fabrication
• Technical fabrics and hardware
• Design for manufacturability
• BOMs and production documentation
• Sewing-machine setup and troubleshooting
• Quality inspection
• Practical problem-solving and attention to detail

Working Environment

This role operates in a fast-moving product development and manufacturing environment.

Expect frequent hands-on work with industrial sewing machines, cutting tools, textile materials, hardware installation equipment, laser cutters, prototypes, and production equipment.

The role includes extended periods of sitting or standing while cutting, sewing, assembling, inspecting, and developing products. Personal protective equipment may be required depending on the task and work area.

How We Work

Kform's core values are Leaders of Leaders, Aggressive Value, Good is Not Good Enough, Extreme Ownership, and Progressive Overload.

We need people who care about craftsmanship, take ownership of problems, continue developing their skills, and understand that a successful prototype must eventually become a product that can be built repeatedly.

If you want to develop new products, build with your hands, work directly alongside engineers, and help create expeditionary equipment that matters, this is the work.

You Should Be Proficient In

• Industrial Sewing
• Technical Sewing
• Soft Goods Development
• Pattern Making
• Prototype Development
• Bags & Packs
• Production Sewing
• Manufacturing Documentation
• Quality Inspection

Machines & Technologies You'll Use

• Industrial walking-foot sewing machines
• Post-bed sewing machines
• Industrial bartack machines
• Heavy-duty presses and hardware installation tooling
• Laser cutting equipment
• Digital pattern and design tools

You should be proficient in:

• CAD Software
• Industrial Design
• Sewing
• Product Development

Machines & technologies you'll use:

• 3D Modeling
• Additive Manufacturing