Senior Raw Materials Developer, Footwear

Overview

The Senior Raw Material Developer, Footwear is responsible for developing, engineering, and commercializing footwear materials that meet brand design intent, performance, sustainability, cost, and manufacturability requirements. This role partners cross-functionally with Footwear Design, Product Development, Product Integrity/Quality, Sustainability, Sourcing, and Vendor Management to deliver materials that are scalable, compliant, and on-time for seasonal launches and core carryovers.

Responsibilities

• Material Development
• Develop and engineer footwear materials (uppers, linings, reinforcements, foams, in socks, outsoles, adhesives, finishes, and trims).
• Source and evaluate new materials and technologies (knits, wovens, leather and alternatives, TPU/PU films, coatings, foams, rubber compounds, bio-based options).
• Translate design intent into technical material requirements: hand feel, stretch and recovery, abrasion, tear strength, color performance, bonding compatibility, durability, weight, and comfort.
• Material Engineering & Testing
• Define material specifications and test plans (lab and wear) to validate performance, safety, and durability.
• Partner with Product Integrity/Quality to ensure materials meet applicable standards and regulations (RSL, REACH, CPSIA/Prop 65 where applicable, footwear chemical restrictions, labeling requirements).
• Troubleshoot material and construction issues (e.g., delamination, cracking, yellowing, hydrolysis risk, color migration, odor, tackiness, compression set, slip performance, outsole bloom).
• Drive corrective actions with suppliers.
• Supplier & Stakeholder Management
• Develop strategic supplier relationships (tanneries, textile mills, compounders, foam suppliers, component vendors) and maintain a qualified vendor matrix.
• Lead supplier onboarding and capability assessments; align on quality systems, traceability, and compliance expectations.
• Communicate clearly with internal partners: provide options, trade-offs, and decision recommendations (cost vs. performance vs. sustainability vs. speed).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Footwear Engineering, Industrial Design, or related field preferred (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of raw material development experience in footwear (preferred) or adjacent categories (bags/accessories/performance apparel) with strong footwear material exposure.
• Proven experience developing materials for uppers and/or bottoms (rubber/TPU/EVA/PU foams) and understanding of bonding and lamination systems.
• Working knowledge of footwear testing and common failure modes (abrasion, flex/crack, hydrolysis risk, adhesion/bond strength, compression set, slip resistance, colorfastness, accelerated aging).
• Experience with global supplier management and commercialization in a multi-factory environment.
• Proficiency in PLM and Excel; able to build trackers, dashboards, and clear development summaries.
• Strong technical judgment with the ability to diagnose issues quickly and propose practical solutions.
• Clear communication: able to translate technical details into decision-ready trade-offs and recommendations.
• Program management: organized, deadline-driven, comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration.
• Collaboration: effective partner to Design/PD, Sourcing, Quality, and external suppliers.
• Experience with sustainable material programs (recycled content validation, bio-based claims, certification management, traceability).
• Familiarity with chemical compliance frameworks (AFIRM-aligned RSL, MRSL concepts, restricted substances in adhesives/finishes, PFAS considerations).
• Experience with digital color tools and color standard management (lab standards, tolerance setting, bulk lot governance).
• Experience managing component/tooling development (molds, compounds, textures, films) and supplier trials.

Pay

The base salary range for this position is $110,000-$145,000 per year. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. As such, on occasion and when applicable, there is the possibility that the final, agreed-upon base salary may be outside of the upper end of the range.