On - Senior Lead – Footwear Materials (maternity cover – 6 months) - Zürich

Team for Career Site

Footwear Product Creation

In short

Are you looking to be part of a team that’s redefining footwear materials in an industry ripe for innovation? We’re seeking a passionate Materials Leader to cover a 6 month maternity leave on our Footwear Materials Team.

As our Materials Lead Performance Footwear, you’re turning footwear dreams into reality. You’ll be pushing the boundaries of performance materials to new heights. Setting and accomplishing short-to-medium-term goals while aligning your work to our long-term vision. You’ll be at the forefront, executing our global materials strategy across various verticals like Performance All Day, Tennis, Training, Outdoor and Running. In this pivotal role, you’ll spearhead groundbreaking developments and lead a team of Specialists in building the future of footwear materials. You’ll collaborate closely with the Head of Materials and maintain synergy with the Design, Development, and Product Management teams.

Your mission

– Material Mastery: Source phenomenal materials that inspire product creation. Ensuring materials are created in alignment with our timelines, sourcing policies, and our sustainability goals. Specifically focused on performance and elevating our products to a new realm of technology and innovation.
– Team Leadership and Collaboration: Guide and nurture the Footwear Material Specialists through collaboration, trust, and mentorship to foster growth and excellence while building our people pipeline for the future.
– Sustainability and Performance Goals: Align material-specific targets with our sustainability roadmap. Identify and seize opportunities to enhance material performance, sustainability, and efficiency in all product categories.
– Data Analytics and Process Optimization: Leverage data analytics to enhance material selection and supply chain processes. Continuously evaluate and optimize our workflows to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve material quality and sustainability.
– Innovation and Research: Stay ahead by researching business trends, attending trade shows, and scouting new technologies. Seamlessly integrating these new ideas into product innovations.
– Material Library Management: Develop and enhance our material library and tools, ensuring strategic partnerships with key suppliers. Focus on both inline and special project toolboxes with agility in handling short lead times. Focus not just on short term management but with a sharp view on the digital future of material libraries and management.
– Quality Assurance and Improvement: Ensure all materials pass our stringent QA tests. Use your deep understanding of yarns, material structures, and polymers to advise on and implement material improvements. Consistently share feedback between T2 suppliers and our Quality team to continue to refine and improve our testing protocol.
– Relationship Building: Cultivate strong, communicative relationships with material suppliers and external vendors. Work collaboratively with various teams, including Design, Product Development, Innovation, and Sustainability, navigating material goals with overall product goals.

Your story

– Educational Foundations: A Bachelor’s Degree (minimum) in Footwear Textile Sciences, Textile Engineering/Technology, or a related field from a globally recognized university.
– Professional/Industry Experience: At least 7 years of global experience in Performance Footwear material development, including essential Asia supplier/factory involvement.
– Team Leadership: A proven track record of at least 3 years in leading and mentoring teams.
– Driving Innovation: A proven ability to lead innovation through performance materials, coupled with strategic thinking and execution capabilities. A comprehensive understanding of the industry’s capabilities, best practices and processes, with the ability to work and collaborate across cultures.
– Global Perspective: Extensive global travel experience to T1s, material suppliers and external partners for sourcing and development.
– Project Management Excellence: A robust background in managing projects from creative inception to production, showcasing your ability to turn visions into reality.
– Design and Technology Affinity: A deep appreciation and understanding of footwear design and technology, especially within the technical performance category. Your keen eye for aesthetics and trend awareness, both within and outside the industry, will be key.
– Detail Orientation and Presentation Skills: Exceptional attention to detail and the talent to build, organize, and present effective strategies and presentations.
– Communication and Collaboration: Your superior communication skills (in both verbal and written English) will enhance your collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders.
– Creativity and Discipline Balance: The unique ability to blend creativity with organization and discipline, thriving in our fast-paced environment.
– Adaptability and Entrepreneurial Spirit: The ability to navigate change effectively and bring an entrepreneurial mindset when facing unexpected challenges.

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 where we help 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 the team is to drive strategic material sustainability priorities into reality in collaboration with other departments across the company, with a focus on 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 and fostering effective collaboration across our global footwear creation team.