Support the Director of Development FW to implement and develop the strategic BU direction and ensure cross-functional alignment within the Creation teams
Ensure achievement of goals and objectives set by the BU through partnership with Marketing and Design
Identify new business opportunities and drive key product and/or process innovations. Provide input to short, mid and long term planning and budgeting
Work with Innovation and Materials Development, and support research into new technologies and materials and communicate to Design and Marketing on new potential development options
Manage the material development and costing related aspects in cooperation with the functional teams to ensure the BU objectives are met and that strategies (i.e. material tool box strategy, costing framework) set forth by the Functional Heads of Material Development and Costing are supported
Supervise the costing process in alignment with HQ Costing, and assume responsibility in alignment and cooperation with BU and Design to meet category margin targets for your area of responsibility
Ensure continuous product and process improvement with emphasis on leading and Right First Time development of products in accordance with the operation calendar
Be responsible for Buy Ready performance through strong interfaces with T1, Quality Assurance, Sourcing and Product Marketing
Manage your team’s budget to yearly targets as set by BOPS
Manage workload and organizational efficiency with the support of the performance management team and data
Allocate/delegate the different products/projects to the respective development teams considering experience, product complexity and workload
Work with Director of Development FW to support and develop the T1, Sourcing and QA strategies
Provide team with clear direction, projects and targets that are aligned with business needs and GOPS objectives
Create a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are challenged, coached, trained and provided with performance feedback and career opportunities
Take ownership for the entire development process for assigned products and/or projects with an emphasis on quality product development and timely completion of all tasks in accordance with the applicable product creation calendar
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Marketing
Design
Tier 1 supply partners
Tier 2 supply partners
Material Development
Costing Department
Sourcing
Fit and Wear Test Department
Quality Assurance
Supply Chain Management
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Strong communication (both written and verbal) and facilitation (small and large groups) skills
Ability to deliver effective and persuasive presentations on complex topics to diverse audiences
Ability to think strategically, anticipate and define problems, synthesize complex data and develop innovative solutions
Ability to think end-to-end with a global mindset
Ability to manage through change, make decisions and act comfortably with risk and uncertainty
Ability to provide a clear framework for performance to direct reports
Ability to coach, guide, manage and develop a team
Good understanding of sourcing allocation impact on product from a quality and cost perspective
Fluent in English (written and spoken), German an advantage.
Strong IT skills ( MS office, PDM, CAD )
Travel, domestic and international as required by business needs
REQUISITE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE / MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Four-year college or university degree with emphasis on footwear technology and/or manufacturing
Minimum 7+ years of progressive work experience in the athletic footwear industry, specializing in product development, design and / or marketing.
1-2 years of experience in Merchandising, Production or Development
2–3 years of experience managing a team
Exposure to the latest in materials, components, processes and concepts