Senior Manager, Footwear Development
Brooks Running Company
Seattle, WA, USA
Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Who We Are:
At Brooks, we believe a run can change a day, a life, the world. Everyone who works here is a key part of our obsession to make the best running gear on the planet. We want our business — which also happens to be our passion — to be a place where everyone feels welcome and comfortable being themselves. Our company culture defines us, bonds us together, and drives our success. We live this culture daily through our brand values: Runner First, Word is Bond, Champion Heart, There is no “I” in Run, and Keep Moving. This means we always solve for the runner, do what we say we will, give it our all, are generous with our humanity, and find a way to keep moving every day, because joy is kinetic.
Are you ready to help create something extraordinary?
Your Job:
As the Senior Manager, Footwear Development you will lead, manage, and execute the footwear development process, utilizing advanced product and process knowledge. You will work with a cross-functional product creation team from the collection of insights through commercialization to deliver products that exceed consumer expectations. You must have advanced knowledge of the total footwear construction process including; outsole/midsole drawing, pattern engineering, material construction and properties, and costing. Other critical responsibilities include understanding manufacturing capabilities, anticipating issues, problem solving, and timely resolution. In this role, you will generate ideas around engineering principles that enhance product performance, product value, and communicate them across the product teams.
Responsibilities:
- Manage and guide a multinational team to complete assigned projects from insights through commercialization.
- Create an inspiring and collaborative environment that facilitates innovation, stability and strength.
- Monitor team member performance, develop technical skills, promote career development and be proactive on any needed changes within the group.
- Identify and set departmental priorities, managing personnel and resources through work loads in order to maintain accountability to established calendar dates and ensuring on time delivery of product.
- Lead and project manage multiple projects from Insights gathering through brief, design, development, and into commercialization.
- Drive the footwear development process to ensure products meet performance, aesthetic, and margin expectations.
- Oversee the generation of technical development packages to communicate intended construction and aesthetic details of each project to our overseas development partners.
- Stay abreast of competitor and industry trends and display and in-depth knowledge of manufacturing process with the ability to modify the process in order to advance and achieve new manufacturing techniques.
- Organize and communicate new process and techniques to the cross functional teams.
- Lead the creation of the seasonal product calendar across the product creation process.
- Mentor Design, Development, and Product Management employees on the footwear development process to ensure that designs are manufacturable and meet timeline, cost, performance, and quality objectives.
- Lead development trips to Asia several times per year to work with manufacturers and suppliers on existing and advanced development products.
- Critique and recommend adjustments to blueprints, materials, construction at an advanced level to achieve performance and corporate responsibility objectives
- Contribute ideas for product design, construction, materials, compounds, and components to enhance functionality, aesthetics, fit, and margin.
- Work with wear testing and the human performance lab on testing and validation of all performance characteristics from early prototypes to confirmation.
- Operates to planned budget to ensure department and company goals are met.
- Learn Brooks requirements around budget planning to garner resources necessary to meet department needs.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Design, Biomechanics or other applicable technical degrees.
- 10+ successful years’ of experience leading the development of high performance footwear projects.
- 7+ years’ of experience managing people, coaching, developing and leading high performing teams
- Technical expertise in footwear product development, process, project management, costing and manufacturing of product from conception to retail.
- Proven ability to lead and influence in a collaborative, cross-functional group without command/ control to meet strategic objectives.
- Demonstrated ability to develop highly productive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds resulting in effective working relationships across the company
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an advanced ability to communicate new ideas, concepts and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholders.
- Keen attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks (self and through others), while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all of the pieces fit together and affect one another.
- Ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots.”
- Curious and open minded; deep listening skills, open to challenging and understanding current ways of operating while pushing for innovation to improve our products and processes.
- Strong computer skills including experience with Illustrator, MS Office software.
- Proven ability to lead and influence in collaborative, team oriented and complex global environments.
- Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner in order to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community.
- Embraces and lives the Brooks values!
Compensation:
The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $139,055 - $222,488 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Other:
Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!
Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.
Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including three to five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.
Bonus- in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.
Perks- including product discounts, a home office stipend, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.
At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), honorable discharge or military status, protected citizen status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained guide dog by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.
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