Senior Footwear Developer, Advanced Research & Development; ARD

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.

The Senior Footwear Developer, ARD will lead, manage, and execute the footwear development process, utilizing advanced product and process knowledge. You will work with a cross-functional product creation team from the collection of insights through commercialization to deliver products that exceed consumer expectations.

You must have advanced knowledge of the total footwear construction process, including outsole/midsole technical drawing, pattern engineering, material construction and properties, and costing. Other critical responsibilities of this role include understanding manufacturing capabilities, anticipating issues, problem solving, and timely resolution of any issues. You will be responsible for generating ideas around engineering principles that improve product performance, product value, and communicate them across the product teams.

You are responsible for driving fit, feel, and ride across the portfolio of products in Brooks line.

• Own leading execution of all NU & NT, Pre-Development Projects/ Advanced Development, including leading projects from creation to hand-off for inline teams.
• Partner with and advise Design, CMF team, and textile development to ensure that products are manufacturable and meet cost and quality objective of the organization.
• Lead and initiate meetings with product teams during various phases of development to review, evaluate, update, and ultimately drive the decision-making process that leads to on-time production confirmation for hand-off to inline product teams.
• Recommend and specify to product teams performance components, validated construction options to assure product performance integrity through product testing and insights.
• Own and lead all decisions and discussions on fit, feel, and ride with support from key subject matter experts through cross-functional meetings.
• Critique, adjust, and evaluate technical blueprints, upper patterns, and materials from a performance, manufacturing, and functional perspective.
• Lead in collaboration with Research, Design, Development, Marketing, Costing, and Textile Development to show sample elements that meet the criteria for the product based on performance data.
• Identify opportunities to streamline or improve current operations and create, implement, and communicate new processes and techniques to the cross-functional teams as well as relevant leadership partners.
• Manage multiple projects from Runner Insights to inform Briefs through Design, Development, Costing, and into Commercialization.
• Lead the execution and planning of the seasonal critical dates that lead to timely delivery of seasonal toolbox elements, providing vetted solutions for seasonal product creation.
• Anticipate downstream effects of decisions as it relates to product and project management. Be proactive in solutions to mitigate delays.
• Act as an…