• Pattern Maker

    Grand Rapids Chair Company (Byron Center, MI)


    Pattern Maker

    About the Organization

    Are you looking for a company that values work-life balance, offers benefits like tuition reimbursement and paid volunteer hours, and fosters a transparent, employee-focused culture?You've come to the right place.

     

    Pull up a chair. You're in good company.

     

    At Grand Rapids Chair, we craft furniture that fosters connection and creativity in the spaces where people gather. As a family-owned business, we've built our process around the customer-delivering high-quality, Michigan-made furniture with friendly service and fast lead times.

     

    Our commitment to excellence is driven by our values. We believe every employee plays a role in shaping the future of GRC, and together, we push boundaries, take ownership, and celebrate our collective success together.

     

    We Encourage You to 'Go Be Awesome!'

     

    At GRC, know life extends beyond work. That's why we offer competitive salaries, great benefits, and opportunities for learning and professional growth. We're proud to be named one of Grand Rapids'Best and Brightest Companies to Work For- (https://thebestandbrightest.com/events/west-michigans-2018-best-brightest-companies-work/) - because just like our customers, we want our employees to sit happy, too.

     

    Explore our benefits (https://grandrapidschair.com/about/careers/)

    Description

    Position Overview:We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Pattern Maker to support our Cutting, Sewing, and Upholstery teams in developing, maintaining, and improving patterns for all soft-goods across our furniture product lines. This role is critical for ensuring high-quality upholstery fit, manufacturability, and repeatable results. This role will report to the Upholstery Supervisor with a strong dotted line to engineering.

    Key Responsibilities:

    Pattern Development & Maintenance

     

    + Create, revise, and maintain physical and digital patterns for upholstery, fabric, and vinyl components across a wide variety of SKUs.

    + Develop patterns that ensure consistent fit, high quality, and manufacturability.

    + Translate engineering drawings and product specifications into workable sewing and upholstery templates.

    + Maintain an organized pattern library, ensuring version control and accessibility.

    + Create and support a fabric testing approval process for incoming customer orders

     

    Production Support

     

    + Partner with Sewing, Cutting, and Upholstery teams to verify pattern functionality during prototype builds and production trials.

    + Validate yield efficiency and assist with fabric/vinyl nesting improvements.

    + Troubleshoot pattern-related issues impacting quality, fit, or takt time.

    + Provide shop floor support to operators, adjusting patterns as required.

     

    New Product Development

     

    + Collaborate with Product Engineering and Upholstery Operators to translate design intent into feasible patterning solutions.

    + Participate in prototype builds and pilots to ensure smooth transition into production.

    + Recommend construction methods that balance aesthetic, durability, and manufacturability needs.

     

    Quality & Continuous Improvement

     

    + Analyze upholstery defects, identify root causes related to patterning, and implement

    + corrections.

    + Improve pattern precision, repeatability, and durability through standardized methods.

    + Support cost-reduction initiatives by optimizing material yields and reducing rework.

    + Other duties as requested

    Position Requirements

    Qualifications:

    Required:

    + 5+ years of experience in upholstery, pattern making, sewing technology, and cut-and-sew manufacturing.

    + Understanding of fabric behavior, stretch, grain, and vinyl construction.

    + Proficient in manual pattern drafting and template production.

    + Ability to read engineering drawings and convert 3D shapes into accurate 2D patterns.

    + Strong collaboration and communication skills.

    + High attention to detail and craftsmanship.

    + Strong problem solving skills.

    Preferred:

    + Experience in furniture, automotive, marine, or similar upholstery industries.

    + Familiarity with CAD-based patterning tools (AutoCAD, Gerber, Optitex, Eastman, etc.).

    + Experience with lean manufacturing environments.

    + Prototype build or upholstery construction experience.

     

    Shift First

     

    Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

     

    EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

     

    Category Manufacturing

     

    This position is currently accepting applications.