R&D Tech Lead - Footwear

Location: Bahadurgarh

About Cult - Curefit Healthcare Pvt Ltd, founded in 2016, is India's largest fitness company and wellness platform. Cult, from the house of Curefit, was established with a mission to make fitness easy, fun and accessible to everyone, and has emerged as a community celebrating the joy of fitness. The brand today offers a range of fitness services ranging from group workouts, gyms and personalized fitness solutions, as well as an expansive selection of quality fitness products for the everyday athlete.

The company's vision is to empower everyone towards an active and healthier lifestyle through innovative fitness solutions, enabled by technology.

We are looking for a  highly driven and deeply technical R&D Technical Lead – Footwear  to join  Brand Cult  at our Bahadurgarh location. This is not a process-bound role — it is a  full ownership role  for someone who takes  complete accountability  for  product excellence, innovation, and problem-solving  at every level of footwear creation.

The right candidate will lead with  technical depth, creative curiosity, and execution rigor , driving innovation not only in manufacturing or SOPs, but across  systems, last design, materials, packaging, new category development , and overall  product performance . This is a high-impact position with full visibility and ownership of product evolution.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Innovation & Technical Ownership
Own the  end-to-end technical development  of footwear products across all categories — from idea to shelf.
Drive  continuous innovation  in construction methods, component engineering, insole, sole technologies, material blending, and ergonomic performance.
Actively lead  new last development programs  across sport and lifestyle categories — ensuring comfort, fit consistency, and biomechanical support.
Take complete responsibility for  packaging innovation  — optimizing for sustainability, protection, unboxing experience, and cost.
Root-Cause Analysis & Problem Solving
Be the  go-to person for solving complex product problems  arising from field performance, customer feedback, or production variability.
Lead detailed  RCA (Root Cause Analysis)  for every significant product complaint or failure — across materials, construction, fit, or wear performance.
Fix issues at the root level and ensure learnings are  documented and fed back  into future product cycles and SOPs.
SOPs, Standards & Norms Creation
Build and standardize  robust SOPs, material standards, performance benchmarks, testing protocols , and production guidelines for all current and future product lines.
Institutionalize  knowledge into documentation  that scales — ensuring consistent output across factories, vendors, and internal teams.
Material & Construction Excellence
Research, source, and test advanced materials (textiles, leathers, foams, rubbers, composites) based on functional need, sustainability goals, and cost targets.
Lead new development trials and  optimize manufacturing processes  for durability, comfort, and scalability.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate deeply with  design, merchandising, sourcing, production, and QA teams  to ensure technical feasibility and execution integrity.
Train and upskill junior engineers, QC teams, and vendor partners on technical developments and standards.
Actively contribute to seasonal and long-term  product strategy discussions , bringing in a strong  technical and consumer lens .

Experience & Qualification
Bachelor's or Master's degree in  Footwear Technology, Industrial Design, Leather Technology , or related field.
7–8 years of strong technical leadership experience  in footwear development or R&D — preferably across multiple categories.
Demonstrated expertise in:
Last development and foot anatomy
Insole and midsole innovation
Outsole tooling and grip systems
Material and compound development
Wear and field performance analysis