Lead Materials Engineer

Who We Are:

Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.

In the Inline Materials team, you will lead product engineering efforts and develop new products with the Product Creation team across all categories. You will plan, drive, and validate these products to bring them from an initial idea to a commercial ready stage. You will develop valuable experience working with designers, developers, sports researchers and product managers. You will also work across the company with innovation, materials, sourcing, quality and legal teams.

You will utilize your knowledge of engineering, materials, costing, and manufacturing processes to help you deliver great results. You will learn new skills as New Balance continues to transform our product and processes to be more digital and drive great consumer experiences.

Influences teams utilizing a deep understanding of the materials engineering viewpoint, to provide technical and commercial consultancy for NB footwear GBU’s throughout product creation cycle in a variety of roles, inclusive of:

• Attending product briefs and design reviews, making supplier recommendations, ensuring material data integrity, and troubleshooting material issues or failures through prototyping and product creation phases.
• Seeks knowledge about the consumer and the consumer's culture.
• Identifies opportunities to partner with materials suppliers to develop and validate new sustainable materials and processes plus deliver technical solutions for material palettes and custom materials to meet NB corporate sustainability goals across footwear product creation categories.
• Leads the validation of the final product and creation of material specifications to facilitate the commercialization process and meet consumer expectations.
• Drives novel product and material advances through comprehensive knowledge of the machinery used for processing of knitted, woven, non-woven, leather and synthetic materials and applications as well as yarn manufacture and coloration methods.
• Drives improvement, global alignment and rollout of category best practices.
• Executes at accurately self-identify priorities and adjust in real time, while communicating progress and timeline adjustments.
• Identifies risk, builds and drives strong contingency plans.
• Drives efficient meetings by sharing an agenda in advance, come to meetings well prepared and with a POV to guide the conversation, schedules appropriate duration and manages timeline of meetings, energizes and influences team towards a clear path forward, share meeting minutes.
• Drives projects forward and finds creative solutions to hit challenging timelines.
• Drives clear, concise written communication with appropriate supporting visual aids sent to appropriate audiences.
• Drives an understanding of the global footwear business, proactively builds strong connections throughout, and can identify and leverage the optimal connections to remove barriers and improve produce and process.

MS or equivalent experience in Textile Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, or Textile Chemistry. 9+ years professional experience, with at least 5 years material research and/or development. In depth knowledge of infrastructure and processes required to support a global manufacturer in the areas of material development and testing, technical evaluation, product development calendar and materials engineering. Excellent computer skills:
PowerPoint, Excel, Sharepoint, Smartsheets, Adobe Illustrator. Experience in the field of material research, development, global sourcing and commercialization of knits, wovens, print, dye, wash and finish. Experience turning ideas into concepts and concepts into commercial products, including developing new tools, equipment, processes and standards with machine manufacturers and material suppliers. A successful candidate will be curious, open minded, always up for a challenge.

They should apply their analytic skills to solve problems. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, multi-tasking, and organization skills. Ability and willingness to work in a team-oriented, creative environment. Ability to effectively balance work in-person and remotely to fit with New Ways of Working. Some domestic and international travel may be required. Lawrence, MA Corp Only Pay Range: $ - $ - $ Annual (actual base pay varying based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, internal equity, geographic location, and more.)

Our products are only as good as the…