Footwear Developer II

Join to apply for the Olu Kai Footwear Developer II role at Olu Kai

3 days ago – Be among the first 25 applicants

$/yr – $/yr

At Olu Kai, we build premium products for ocean lifestyle. Our footwear use quality materials, designed for comfort and style reflecting ocean lifestyle vibes.

Committed to quality & low footprint, eco‑friendly and support clean planet. Culture of ocean & people connections. Craft team of passion for premium products & service.

Footwear Dev II transforms idea to tangible footwear. Partner design, merch, sourcing & makers for seasonal & SMU lines. Materials, color, build fit, brand‑right, perform‑ready & consumer‑focus & production‑viable. Balance innovation & cost & quality. Elevate sneaker & franchise assort.

• Manage seasonal footwear programs & SMU initiatives, flawless quality, fit, brand align.
• Translate design concepts, CADs, tech packs to specs, phases prototype, fit, samples.
• Collaborate merch to validate consumer, channel, account needs; ensure commercial viability & relevance.
• Work sourcing & vendors for cost targets, material feasibility, prod readiness.
• Own sample reviews & fit sessions, fit enhanc product fit, performance, durability, aesthetic impact.
• Maintain dev documentation, sample track, devlog, change logs.
• Support SMU prep with graphic, color, material treatments.

• Bachelor in Industrial Design, Prod Dev, Eng, or related.
• 7–10 yr foot dev exp—perf, sneaker, lifestyle.
• Track product & concept thru commercialization.
• Know foot construction, lasts, pattern, materials, manuf processes—sneaker focus.
• SMU or season styling—color, graphic, material app.
• Collab across design, merch, source, prod teams.
• Detail‑oriented, organ multi‑proj, tight timelines, samples sw.
• Pro dev & PLM tools; CAD & tech pack skills.
• Passion for sneakers, innovation, performance footh excellence.

In‑office hybrid; 4 days w/in Irvine, CA; 1 day home.

• Compl chef breakfast & lunch Mon‑Thu.
• Gen gift program & all brand dis.
• Growth opp within Archipelago family.
• Company bonus pro.
• 5 & 10 yr anniversary gifts to Hawa & dest.
• Wellness program, in‑office gym & group classes.
• Medical, Dental, Vision ins. plan rules.
• 401k match plan.
• 15 PTO + 1 per yr & 3 float hlds.
• Paid beach/gallery days, bi‑ann team events & in‑person celebrations.
• Team of ocean‑lifestyle lovers.
• Olu Kai B Corp with paid company service days.
• Dog friendly office.

Referrals up chances interview at Olu Kai by 2×.

Mid‑Senior level

Full‑time

Engineering & Info Tech.

Retail Apparel & Fashion.

Archipelago Companies values diversity~ inclusion~ entrepreneur… equal employ qual… all biz. Without race, color, gender, creed, age, nat, citizenship, ... or law protected. Disabl qual. Etc.