Product Creation Business Operations Lead, Footwear [AQ-23397]

About the role

Aquent is partnering with a globally recognized athletic footwear and apparel powerhouse to find a visionary leader in business operations. This contract opportunity offers the chance to make a significant impact by optimizing the intricate processes behind iconic footwear products. You will be instrumental in shaping the operational backbone of product creation, working hand-in-hand with product and development teams to bring order to complexity and foster seamless collaboration. This role is for a strategic thinker and an operational doer who can identify bottlenecks, implement solutions, and empower cross-functional partners to execute shared priorities with precision and speed.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day business operations across Product Management, Development, Design, Merchandising, and Planning teams within the footwear domain.
• Maintain product creation calendars, meticulously track milestones, and communicate critical updates to all stakeholders.
• Proactively identify operational inefficiencies and champion the implementation of impactful improvements to processes and workflows.
• Build and maintain essential collaborative tools, trackers, reporting processes, and comprehensive documentation.
• Facilitate crucial cross-functional meetings to resolve issues, ensure stakeholder alignment, and drive project execution.
• Prepare insightful operational reports and translate complex data into actionable business insights that inform strategic decisions.
• Develop clear process documentation and engaging training materials to support consistent execution across teams.
• Coordinate operational projects from inception to completion, expertly managing timelines, deliverables, and interdependencies.

Requirements

• 5+ years of robust experience in product operations, business operations, project management, or process improvement.
• A deep understanding of physical product creation and development, ideally within footwear, apparel, or consumer products.
• Proven experience in enhancing business processes and skillfully coordinating work across multiple functional teams.
• Exceptional organizational, facilitation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing project timelines, calendars, operational reporting, and documentation.
• Strong Excel proficiency, including mastery of formulas, pivot tables, and lookup functions.
• Hands-on experience building or maintaining collaborative tools and workflows using platforms such as Airtable, Smartsheet, Miro, or similar industry-standard applications.
• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant professional experience.

Preferred qualifications

• Previous experience within the athletic footwear industry.
• Knowledge of seasonal footwear product creation calendars, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) processes, or global product operations.
• Experience supporting process adoption, training initiatives, or organizational change management.
• Advanced reporting, dashboard development, or workflow automation expertise.

Benefits

• Work at the heart of product creation operations for one of the world's most recognizable athletic brands, contributing to products loved globally.
• Collaborate closely with experienced leaders across Product, Design, Development, and Merchandising, gaining invaluable insights and mentorship.
• Make a tangible and immediate impact by directly improving the processes and tools utilized by global teams.
• Gain unparalleled visibility across multiple functions within a complex and influential product organization.
• Join an established and supportive team where your operational expertise will be recognized and make a significant difference from day one.

About the company

Global leader in athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment. The company focuses on innovation, performance, and marketing, partnering with top athletes and teams. It emphasizes sustainability and digital advancements to enhance the sports experience.