Principal Program Manager, Athlete

About Us

Brooks believes movement is the key to feeling more alive. The company creates gear and experiences that inspire people to reach their personal finish lines. Brooks’ culture sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation. Core brand values include Runner First, Word is Bond, Champion Heart, There is no “I” in Run, and Keep Moving. The company welcomes people from every walk of life to inspire others through the power of movement.

About the Role

The Brooks Athlete Product team leads the brand into the future of performance running across road, track, and trail. As Principal Program Manager, Athlete, you will partner with the Senior Director of Innovation to shape a long‑term athlete footwear vision, develop roadmaps and strategies, and guide how Brooks identifies athlete needs, translates them into breakthrough concepts, and delivers performance‑enhancing solutions.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Senior Director, Footwear Innovation to define a clear, long‑range vision for athlete‑driven innovation that solves complex performance challenges.
• Lead the strategic direction for athlete footwear across road, track, and trail, ensuring each category reflects evolving elite‑athlete needs, behaviors, and performance demands.
• Build and manage a balanced portfolio of athlete projects—from breakthrough technologies to future‑forward concepts—representing all athlete disciplines.
• Connect race‑day and training product architecture to deliver disruptive innovation that elevates performance and strengthens the Hyperion ecosystem.
• Represent the athlete perspective on the Future Creation Leads (FCLs) team, ensuring cross‑functional alignment on multi‑season athlete strategy.
• Lead the cross‑functional Athlete team through bi‑annual Footwear Portfolio meetings, aligning with Footwear Management and brand leadership on strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director, Footwear Innovation to integrate athlete‑driven projects into the broader innovation pipeline, shaping the Hyperion line architecture and long‑term roadmap.
• Serve as lead or key stakeholder on high‑impact athlete innovation initiatives, research programs, and technology pathways that define the future of performance footwear.
• Influence cross‑functional partners to secure alignment, resources, and adoption of athlete innovation projects across road, track, and trail.
• Own the creation, evolution, and communication of the athlete product roadmap across all disciplines, ensuring alignment with medium‑ and long‑term business objectives.
• Continuously update project timelines and integrate new athlete initiatives into the roadmap in partnership with the PLM Athlete/Innovation team.
• Ensure the roadmap reflects a strategic balance of near‑term deliverables and long‑range innovation bets.
• Develop compelling, athlete‑centered narratives that translate latent needs into powerful briefs and product direction.
• Inspire the brand by delivering athlete stories at key milestones, sales meetings, go‑to‑market moments, and PR events.
• Partner closely with Product Marketing to embed athlete insights and innovation stories authentically in go‑to‑market plans.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams—including Apparel, Run Research, Athletes & Sports Marketing—to drive head‑to‑toe athlete programs.
• Foster a collaborative, exploratory environment where experimentation, creative problem solving, and calculated risk‑taking thrive.
• Work closely with Asia development partners to identify new opportunities with existing and emerging vendors.
• Build strong, consistent collaboration across global athlete, innovation, and footwear teams.
• Lead the trajectory of athlete footwear at Brooks by inspiring the Athlete PLM team and cross‑functional partners to push performance‑innovation boundaries.
• Champion a culture of curiosity, innovation, and continuous improvement across product teams.
• Serve as the internal expert on athlete strategy, coaching teams to deepen their athlete understanding and product needs.
• Promote a “fail fast, learn fast” mindset and encourage cross‑pollination of ideas across teams and disciplines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in product management or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to generate innovative product and process ideas.
• Proven ability to lead, influence, and build trust across teams without direct authority.
• Strong leadership experience managing both long‑range initiatives and short‑term priorities.
• Track record of delivering high‑impact, strategic projects.
• Expert knowledge of materials, constructions, and biomechanics.
• Strong analytical skills, business acumen, and proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel up to 30%, including internationally.
• Excellent interpersonal, storytelling, and communication skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships across diverse teams and cultures.
• Curious, open‑minded, detail‑oriented, and comfortable challenging the status quo.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
• Lives and embodies the Brooks values.

Compensation

The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $145,098 – $232,157 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Family & fertility assistance.
• 401(k) Savings Plan with match.
• Employee assistance program.
• Transportation assistance.
• Five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.
• Annual performance‑based bonus.
• Product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.

Location & Work Environment

You will spend four days per week in Brooks’ Seattle offices to foster in‑person collaboration, creativity, and problem‑solving. The role requires up to 30% travel, including international trips.