Product Developer

Job Title: Materials Developer

Duration: 8 Months (Possible extension)

Work Location: Beaverton, OR

Job Description:

Requirements:

• On-site role at WHQ; typical work hours, 4/1 hybrid schedule
• Potential for one domestic travel trip
• Degree highly preferred
• 6 years’ experience required in materials development/design, product development/design, or similar (ideally in footwear)

Top must-have skills include the following:

• Experience in materials/product creation process (specifically within footwear, but apparel could work)
• Collaborative
• Self-starter/self sufficient
• Adherent to deadlines and project timelines

Skills that would make a candidate stand out:

• Previous experience working with a material manufacturer
• Product development experience specifically in footwear
• This ETW will help support work that includes interfacing vendors, driving processes, collaborating with product creation teams on running footwear, communicating directions to materials partners in Asia, and taking design intent to match it with vendor capabilities

Who You’ll Work With:

• You will be a partner with Product Development, Design, Engineering, Materials Planning & Supply Chain to provide transparency when issues or concerns arise, and you’ll collaborate on a solution.
• You’ll partner with Material Design to ensure seasonal developments and material palettes are infused with energy, while considering source base, price, performance, and sustainability.

Who We Are Looking For:

• We are looking for a Footwear Materials Developer to collaborate with vendors, the product creation team, and other functions to drive the materials development process, establish seasonal material direction, attain timely delivery and ensure product excellence for both consumers and athletes!
• You will provide tools, palettes, and data across multiple material types to enable effective material selection for end-use and category ease of use.
• Bachelor's degree in Materials, Chemistry, Product Development or Product Engineering, or equivalent combination of education, experience or training
• Minimum 6 years’ directly applicable work experience
• Solid understanding of various material manufacturing processes
• Knowledge of the footwear product creation process
• Lab testing and ability to interpret results preferred
• Excellent problem-solving skills and continual innovation ability
• Ability to balance multiple priorities, interpret design intent and offer alternative solutions
• Clear communication skills
• Ability to anticipate needs, address problems, perform research and analyze results
• Attention to detail, active follow-through, assertiveness, self-motivation and a phenomenal teammate
• Computer proficiency with working knowledge of MS Word, Excel and Outlook

What You’ll Work On:

• As a member of the Materials Development team, you will be focused on driving functional excellence and material readiness with a sharp focus on execution of material creation, material sourcing, cost, quality, and implementation of sustainable solutions.
• Materials Development collaborates with vendors, product creation, and other functions to establish seasonal material direction, attain on-time delivery, and ensure product excellence for both consumers and athletes.
• Manage the materials creation process for assigned materials ensuring on time delivery
• and development according to critical dates and specifications
• You will engage in all phases of the product process to ensure projects are managed according to critical dates and completed on time, while meeting design intent, performance goals, costing/profitability and sustainability targets.
• You will ensure that your projects are ready for the commercialization process and can ultimately be manufactured