Senior Footwear Developer, Innovation

Who We Are

At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation.

Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:

• Runner First – We act in the best interest of the runner
• Word is Bond – We do what we say we’ll do
• Champion Heart – We give our all in everything we do
• There is no “I” in Run – We stay generous with our humanity
• Keep Moving – We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!

We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.

As the Senior Footwear Innovation Developer at Brooks, you will be a key leader in the Footwear Innovation Team to drive execution of innovation projects through all phases of the project Phase Gate process. You will drive the innovation development process from concept to in-line technology transfer and commercialization. You will work with cross-functional and global innovation creation teams to research and develop new technologies, explore new design processes, constructions, and methods to create cutting‑edge footwear that runners will love, with the lowest environmental impact possible.

You will be part of the Footwear Innovation process, including sample material acquisition, prototype building and validation, factory collaboration, and driving process improvement. This role will act as a positive driving force in the innovation process and impact business results by discovering new potentials in footwear performance and manufacturing, and contributing to our long‑term innovation strategy. You will be responsible for generating and communicating ideas, concepts, and project status to managers and the Innovation Lead Triad.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with more junior members of the Footwear Innovation team to hone their technical footwear expertise.

• Execute the innovation product development role by delivering on Brooks’ Fit, Feel, Ride, and Crafted Beauty principles on multiple, concurrent projects via an unwavering dedication to always deliver excellence.
• Provide leadership to Design and Product Line Management teams to uncover new ways that innovative materials and designs can be manufacturable and meet project goals and performance, sustainability, cost, and quality objectives.
• Ensure product performance integrity by working with Product Validation teams to determine testing needs/criteria, explore new test methods, understand results, and make decisions based on learnings.
• Identify and partner with vendors, factories, and the Sourcing team to discover and advance new manufacturing techniques that enhance the overall performance of product.
• Partner with Sustainability teams to discover new materials and manufacturing processes that meet and exceed brand goals.
• Identify, recommend, and specify to project team the material, component, and construction options to meet pricing targets and the product’s functional goals, as well as ensure product performance integrity through product testing (physical and field testing).
• Partner with legal teams to initiate Intellectual Property reviews and drive positive working and contractual relationships with new partners.
• Own sample management for assigned projects, including receipt and distribution of all samples, sample checking, and communicating updates to all teammates.
• Assist Asia Innovation Development team in creating and maintaining technical packages and Bills of Materials (BOM’s) for assigned projects.
• Ensure product quality by collaborating with Engineering and Quality Assessment teams at all stages of the creation process.
• Critique, adjust, and evaluate technical blueprints (outsole/ midsole/ upper), upper patterns, and materials from a performance, manufacturing, and functional perspective.
• Participate in development…