Senior Lead of Material Innovation Development Footwear / Senior Lead of Material Innovation Development Footwear

In Short

We are seeking a bold and passionate innovator to drive the implementation and commercialization of key material innovations for the fastest growing footwear brand. Collaborating with innovation and inline teams, this teammate will explore, research, and validate material innovation concepts while managing their full rollout for mass production. This role is designed for a forward-thinker who thrives on exploring new methods of creation, pushing the boundaries of performance, and revolutionizing sustainability in sports footwear.

As the Senior Lead of Footwear Innovation Development, you will play a pivotal role in transforming cutting-edge material innovations into scalable, high-performance products that reach athletes and fans worldwide. Your expertise in textiles, synthetics, and leathers, combined with your deep understanding of T2 and T3 supply chains, will drive the evolution of footwear materials and ensure they meet the highest standards of performance, manufacturability, and sustainability.

In this capacity, you will own the commercialization of innovative materials, ensuring all critical elements are thoroughly evaluated and implemented to bring these materials to life. You will spearhead the introduction of groundbreaking material concepts, balancing manufacturability with sustainability and brand strategy alignment to build the most innovative footwear solutions. By collaborating closely with innovation, design, inline product creation teams, and sourcing across time zones and countries, you will help scale and transition proven innovative concepts into mass production, ultimately delivering these innovations directly to athletes worldwide. This role requires cross-organizational influence and partnership with sourcing and factory partners to guarantee seamless transfer and rollout of material innovations from concept to mass production, positioning you at the forefront of pioneering new material ideas for our footwear brand.

Meet The Team

We are a small team with big responsibilities. In our Footwear Materials team, we implement and execute the sustainability strategy for the entire company through our footwear materials, helping to shape the future of the organization. We conduct research, create strategies, implement projects, and innovate products and processes through the lens of sustainable materials and footwear. One of the main objectives of our team is to drive strategic material sustainability priorities into reality in collaboration with other departments across the company, emphasizing consistent and effective communication and education around these topics. As the Senior Lead, you will also have the important task of leading and influencing the current team, fostering effective collaboration across our global footwear creation team.

Your Mission

• Lead Material Innovation: Own the commercialization of innovative materials, balancing performance, sustainability, and manufacturability to push the boundaries of footwear design.
• Drive Performance Enhancements: Explore and implement new methods of make that optimize product durability, weight, and responsiveness for high-performance footwear.
• Bridge Innovation and Mass Production: Collaborate with innovation, design, inline product creation teams, sourcing, and manufacturing partners to validate material concepts and transition them seamlessly into scalable production.
• Optimize Supply Chain Complexity: Leverage deep knowledge of T2 and T3 supply bases to drive supply chain efficiencies, ensuring materials align with business needs and sustainability goals.
• Champion Sustainability: Integrate sustainable material solutions into footwear innovation, reducing environmental impact while maintaining peak performance.
• Influence and Inspire: Lead through expertise and influence, engaging with cross-functional teams to ensure materials innovation is successfully implemented at scale.
• Manage Commercialization Pathways: Work closely with sourcing teams and supplier development teams to secure smooth, repeatable, and scalable commercialization of new materials.
• Ensure Strategic Alignment: Align material innovations with brand strategy, sustainability initiatives, and long-term growth objectives.
• Execute with Excellence: Exhibit outstanding project management skills, prioritizing multiple initiatives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Your Story

• Minimum 8+ years of progressive work experience in the athletic footwear industry, with knowledge of materials, development, and sourcing.
• Expert knowledge in footwear materials, development, sourcing, and commercialization.
• Deep understanding of and engagement with innovation pipelines across the footwear industry and other relevant sectors.
• Proven experience in leading through influence, inspiring others while being a team player with a positive can-do attitude.
• Proven ability to adapt to change and solve complex problems with competing priorities.
• Extensive experience in the athletic footwear industry, with a proven track record of successful footwear product launches.
• Experience with physical property guidelines, fit and wear testing, and performance sport demands for product creation.
• Ability to work independently under tight deadlines on multiple projects, requiring innovative ideas and engineering problem-solving.
• Determination and passion; you are an explorer who challenges the status quo and strives for continual improvement.
• Strong communication skills (verbal & written) and the ability to engage with all levels of the organization while managing various projects at different stages.
• Language Skills: Fluency in English; knowledge of German and other languages is a plus.
• This position is based in Zurich, Switzerland, with travel to Asia (3-5 trips per year).

Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.