Job description
Job Title: Director of Product Development, Hoka Footwear
Reports to: Senior Director of Product Development
Location: Portland, OR
Reports to: Senior Director of Product Development
Location: Portland, OR
The Role
The Director of Product Development is the Supply Chain lead representative of the “Product Triad” (Product Management, Product Design, Product Development). The Director of Product Development will oversee and drive the product creation process from concept creation & design, through fit & wear tests, salesmen samples and into production. This role requires an in-depth understanding of the internal relationships and milestones that lead to timely decision-making to meet brand and consumer goals.
Knowledge of footwear construction types, materials, testing protocols and the ability to interpret test results to solve for solutions is critical to the success of this role. In addition to understanding the “build” of the product, the Director of Development must understand the facets of product costing including factory labor, overhead and profit to ensure that product is delivered at target costs.
The Director of Product Development will directly manage both the product development and product integrity (fit & wear) teams.
We celebrate diversity-of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together.
Your Impact
The primary functions of this role, include but are not limited to:
- Lead and manage the product creation process from brief stage and design through final prototyping, salesman samples and into production.
- Supervise and manage the timely creation, delivery, and approval of all relevant technical information (shell patterns, 2D’s, 3D’s, lasts, patterns, blue-prints, cost sheets, etc.)
- Supervise the timely generation and maintenance of correct Bill of Materials (BOM) for all projects.
- Lead and manage the diagnosis of materials, fit/wear, commercialization, and costing issues to ensure products are proven, tested, commercialized and at target costs prior to mass production.
Who You Are
- An experienced footwear developer, technician and/or product specialist with an engineering mindset and problem-solving focus.
- A leader who is driven for excellence combined with an awareness of the global issues driving footwear sourcing, production, costs, etc.
- Industry awareness of running shoe brands, product, competitive landscape, etc.
- Ability to manage and work in a complex global organization satisfying the needs of diverse constituents with competing deadlines and priorities.
- Effective team building, project management and organizational skills.
- A leader who can teach and mentor the next generation of footwear developers.
We’d love to hear from people with
- Bachelor’s Degree or relevant work experience
- 10+ years’ experience in the footwear industry preferably in development, commercialization, or production.
- Factory based and/or Asia work experience preferred but not required.
What We'll Give You
- Competitive Pay and Bonuses - We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued.
- Financial Planning and wellbeing - No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.
- Time away from work - Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
- Extras, discounts and perks - Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras
- Growth and Development - Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
- Health and Wellness - There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.
The purpose of this role is to act as the “general contractor of shoe building” by facilitating the product creation process from brief hand-off, through design, prototyping, materialization, costing, fit & wear testing, and the production ready to buy stage.
To be successful one mut be able to manage and work in a complex global organization satisfying the needs of diverse constituents with competing deadlines and priorities. Being well organized, with a strong attention to detail and a problem-solving mindset are all important qualities.
The fulfillment of this role often comes when seeing concepts move from ideation to sketches to samples and then to shoes in stores and on the feet of athletes around the world.
A typical workday might be spent reviewing designs, researching materials, creating BOMs (Bill of Materials), reviewing fit-tests and consulting with our Asia team on samples, etc.
The most challenging part of this role can often be the seasonal overlaps of calendars and the management of priorities.
The role collaborates frequently with internal stakeholders such as product design, product line managers, the materials team, the costing team, the fit & wear team, etc., the Asia development team. The role also collaborates with external factory partners and suppliers.
Skills/Knowledge/Behavior:
- Ability to manage work in a multi-tasked, fast-paced environment.
- Ability to manage and work in a complex global organization satisfying the needs of diverse constituents with competing deadlines and priorities.
- Ability to effectively prepare and present information and respond to questions from management, clients, and other employees of the organization.
- Ability to communicate visually with Illustrator & Photoshop.
- Effective empowering communicator, good problem solver
- Highly intelligent, self-directing and self-confident leader
- Effective team building, project management and organizational skills
- Excellent written and verbal skill
- Driven for excellence, a self-starter and leader.
- Ability to plan with foresight and anticipate impact of expected results.
- Excellent problem-solving abilities.
- In-depth knowledge of all leathers, materials, last types, molds, compound development, foot anatomy
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Proficient in various Microsoft Applications
Equal Employment Opportunity
Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all of the other beautiful parts of your identity.
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