Sr. Manager, Product Development - UGG Footwear
About the role
The Senior Manager, Product Development for UGG Footwear leads the end-to-end footwear product creation process, ensuring alignment to UGG standards for fit, comfort, quality, and cost-to-value performance. This role operates within a matrixed organization, managing team performance, establishing development priorities, and partnering cross-functionally to optimize product creation processes, mitigate risk, and deliver commercially viable products that meet consumer expectations.
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end product development execution across categories, ensuring alignment to product excellence standards (fit, comfort, quality, cost-to-value)
- Drive global alignment between USA and Asia PD teams to establish consistent development practices and execution standards
- Guide cross-functional triad decision-making to mitigate risks and ensure efficient progression through the critical path
- Establish structured frameworks for evaluating design concepts, materials, last specifications, and construction approaches
- Influence product decisions to balance cost, quality, and performance, ensuring premium consumer outcomes
- Partner with Product Engineering to evaluate fit, wear testing, and commercialization readiness, resolving issues proactively
- Manage and develop a team of product developers, setting priorities, allocating resources, and ensuring accountability to business objectives
- Provide coaching, technical guidance, and performance feedback to elevate individual and team capability
- Build organizational strength through talent development, succession planning, and fostering a high-performance culture
- Analyze product performance, defective returns, and consumer feedback to identify root causes and drive improvements
- Evaluate and integrate new technologies, materials, and construction techniques to improve product and process outcomes
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- SATRA footwear certifications a plus
- 10+ years of experience in the footwear industry
- 5+ years in a management role within a global organization
- Advanced expertise in footwear product creation, specifications, and construction
- Strong experience in pattern engineering, tooling, and manufacturing processes
- Proven ability to leverage data and analytics to drive development decisions
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe applications
- Expertise with development tools (calipers, durometer, Brannock, last tools, etc.)
- Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities
- Able to manage multiple priorities and complex development pipelines
Qualifications
- Advanced expertise in footwear product creation, specifications, and construction
- Strong experience in pattern engineering, tooling, and manufacturing processes
- Proven ability to leverage data and analytics to drive development decisions
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe applications
- Expertise with development tools (calipers, durometer, Brannock, last tools, etc.)
- Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities
- Able to manage multiple priorities and complex development pipelines
Skills
- Advanced expertise in footwear product creation, specifications, and construction
- Strong experience in pattern engineering, tooling, and manufacturing processes
- Proven ability to leverage data and analytics to drive development decisions
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe applications
- Expertise with development tools (calipers, durometer, Brannock, last tools, etc.)
- Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities
- Able to manage multiple priorities and complex development pipelines
Benefits
We offer a competitive compensation program, financial planning and wellbeing benefits, time away from work, extras, discounts and perks, growth and development opportunities, and health and wellness programs. Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Pay
$137,500.00 - $185,600.00
Schedule
Typical work schedule is 3 days per week in the office, specifically Tuesday – Thursday.