Textile, leather and footwear researcher

Description

Textile, leather and footwear researchers combine knowledge of material sciences, chemistry, physics, process technologies, management, and engineering to contribute to future innovations within the fields of textile, wearing apparel, leather, and footwear. They collaborate in multidisciplinary projects in order to combine findings from a diverse array of science fields for product development.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to textile, leather and footwear researcher:

textile, leather and footwear research worker
textile, leather technologist
textile and clothing researcher
textile, leather and footwear research analyst
textile and leather researcher
clothing and apparel researcher

Minimum qualifications

Master’s degree is generally required to work as textile, leather and footwear researcher. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Textile, leather and footwear researcher is a Skill level 4 occupation.

Textile, leather and footwear researcher career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to textile, leather and footwear researcher.

textile quality manager
textile chemist
textile colourist
textile product developer
textile technologist

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of textile, leather and footwear researcher. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of textile, leather and footwear researcher with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of textile, leather and footwear researcher.

Health and safety in the textile industry: The requirements, rules and applications of health and safety measures in the textile industry.
Textile materials: Have a good understanding of the properties of different textile materials.
Research and development in textiles: Development of new concepts through the use of scientific and other methods of applied research.
Physics: The natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.
Chemistry: The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
Challenging issues in the textile industry: The efficiency aims and environmental issues posed by challenges in the textile industry.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of textile, leather and footwear researcher.

Distinguish accessories: Distinguish accessories in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate accessories based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Monitor textile manufacturing developments: Keep up to date with recent developments in textile manufacturing and processing techniques and technologies.
Measure yarn count: Be able to measure yarn length and mass to assess fineness of roving, sliver and yarn in different measuring systems.Also able to convert into the various numbering system such as tex, Nm, Ne, denier, etc.
Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing: Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
Maintain work standards: Maintaining standards of work in order to improve and acquire new skills and work methods.
Perform chemical experiments: Perform chemical experiments with the aim of testing various products and substances in order to draw conclusions in terms of product viability and replicability.
Use textile finishing machine technologies: Use textile finishing machine technologies that enable the coating or laminating of fabrics.
Test physical properties of textiles: Evaluating the physical properties of textiles by using testing methods, normally in accordance with a standard; it includes fibre identification and trouble shooting.
Distinguish fabrics: Distinguish fabrics in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate fabrics based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
Manage scale-up experiments for manufacturing of products: Manage scale-up processes and experimentation in the development of new products or the improvement of existing ones and subsequent transfer to main plant.
Conduct research on trends in design: Conduct research on present and future evolutions and trends in design, and associated target market features.
Analyse experimental laboratory data: Analyse experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings
Evaluate textile characteristics: Evaluate textiles and their properties in order to manufacture products in conformity with specifications.
Seek innovation in current practices: Search for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of textile, leather and footwear researcher. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Textile marketing techniques: Creating, communicating and delivering value to customers of textile products and services.
Dyeing technology: Processes involved in textile dyeing using different dyeing technologies. Also, addition of colours to textile materials using dye stuffs.
Nonwoven machine technology: Manufacturing of nonwoven fabrics according to specification. Development, manufacture, properties and evaluation of nonwoven fabrics.
Textile chemistry: Chemical processing of textiles such as the reactions of textiles to chemicals.
Portfolio management in textile manufacturing: The process of managing teams and projects in textile and clothing product development.
Textile technologies: Textile technologies to design, manufacture and evaluate the properties of textiles.
Textile finishing technology: Processes used for changing the properties of textile materials. This includes operating, monitoring and maintaining textile finishing machines.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of textile, leather and footwear researcher. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Manufacture nonwoven staple products: Perform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture nonwoven staple products, keeping efficiency and productivity at high levels.
Control textile process: Plan and monitor textile production to achieve control on behalf of quality, productivity and delivery time.
Conduct textile testing operations: Prepare for textile testing and evaluation, gathering the test samples, conducting and recording tests, validating data and presenting results.

ISCO group and title

2149 – Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified

 

 


 

 

References
  1. Textile, leather and footwear researcher – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022