Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)

Looking for your next career move after your military service? Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) seeks to engage and retain high-performing candidates of varied backgrounds in on-the-job exposure to the cutting-edge field of advanced textile manufacturing and development. Our Skillbridge program offers active members of the Armed Services the opportunity to learn new skills and develop new capabilities while receiving real-world training.AFFOA’s mission is to rekindle the domestic textile industry by leading a nationwide enterprise for advanced fiber and fabric technology development and manufacturing. As a non-profit, public-private partnership and DoD-funded Manufacturing USA Innovation Institute, AFFOA bridges the gap between early-stage technology and commercialization.We utilize our expertise and membership ecosystem to help develop and educate the workforce of tomorrow and to create and manufacture textile-based products with transformative capabilities that meet defense and consumer needs.

AFFOA SkillBridge Textiles Technology InternshipInnovative, high-tech, multi-disciplinary… these are just a few of the characteristics that set the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) team apart. As a non-profit, public private partnership Manufacturing Innovation Institute, AFFOA’s mission is to rekindle the textiles industry by leading a nationwide enterprise for advanced fiber & fabric technology and manufacturing innovation, enabling revolutionary new system capabilities for commercial and defense applications. AFFOA is dedicated to accelerating the pace of innovation in advanced textiles through R&D, transitioning and integrating fiber and fabric technologies into products with dual-use applications. The Institute is uniquely positioned to establish and build supply chains to rapidly prototype for DoD and commercial needs and focuses on preparing and building the workforce of the future that can support these new manufacturing needs. AFFOA partners with its member companies including startups, universities, manufacturers, commercial industry, and defense partners to bring advanced fiber technologies to market. Position Overview AFFOA is looking for military personnel with with varying operational skills and experiences with a desire to learn how textiles technology and soft-system design can support defense industrial needs. Participants can gain experience in a wide range of skills ranging from technical/engineering, to non-profit management. Particular roles AFFOA is looking to fulfill include: Business Development Strategy – including the customer discovery with operational teams to understand capabilities needs of advanced functional fabric technologies and assisting in associated proposal development. Further opportunity exists for aligning of customer discovery insights to future DoD and dual-use product technology roadmapping. Project Management – including leading industry-partnered DoD-funded or industry-proprietary projects for advanced functional fabrics System Engineering – Design of advanced functional fabrics systems and subsystems, including electronic textile processing and/or advancement of hardware and software for prototype demonstrators to be evaluated by DoD and/or industry. Workforce Training: Supporting AFFOA in creating and launching training programs and initiatives.