Sporting Fashion & Goods
Footwear Materials Developer II, Jordan, Local Creation GC
Mid Level
Shanghai, China
in office
Full time
Buying, Procurement & Supply ChainSupply ChainProcurement
Job description
About the Role
Leads the development and commercialisation of footwear material solutions from concept through production, delivering on quality, cost, speed, sustainability, and aesthetic objectives. It sits within the Greater China Local Creation Footwear Product Development team and partners closely with Product Management, Design, and Development to set seasonal material direction. The position also acts as a key point of contact for external vendors, helping bring premium footwear concepts to life for consumers and athletes.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and commercialisation of material solutions that deliver on quality, cost, speed, sustainability, and aesthetic objectives.
- Drive material development, testing, commercialisation, and implementation from concept through production.
- Partner with Local Creation Product, Design, and Development teams to identify risks, resolve material challenges, and enable informed decision-making throughout development.
- Collaborate with Design to build a material palette infused with seasonal energy while balancing source base, price, performance, speed, and sustainability.
- Ensure adherence to the product creation calendar so seasonal materials are developed, tested, and commercialised on time.
- Lead vendor communication as the primary point of contact for material development, building a deep understanding of vendor capabilities and maintaining strong working partnerships.
- Manage material data integrity in product creation systems, ensuring accurate sourcing, pricing, performance, sustainability, and feasibility information.
- Evaluate material performance and manufacturing feedback to continuously improve product quality and execution.
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Technical expertise and strong material knowledge, combined with creative problem-solving, to elevate product excellence and translate design intent into scalable solutions.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, build trust across cross-functional teams, and balance innovation, quality, aesthetics, cost, speed, and sustainability throughout the product creation process.
- Bachelor's degree in Apparel, Textiles, Business, or a related field, or two additional years of relevant work experience in lieu of a degree.
- Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience, which may include footwear materials development, manufacturing, or engineering.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional partners and manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to interpret design intent and propose alternative solutions.
- Strong written, verbal, and intercultural communication skills.
- Proactive mindset, with the ability to anticipate needs, conduct research, and analyse results.
- Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
Preferred Skills
- Understanding of the product creation process.
- Experience with lab testing and the ability to interpret results.
Workplace
- Greater China Local Creation
Create your account to access job details
Unlock full job descriptions, apply in seconds, and get access to roles matched to your experience and interests.