Director, Product Development - HOKA Innovation

At Deckers Brands, Together, Every Step is a promise kept that every employee can bring their authentic self, is valued and supported, as a whole person, at work and beyond.

Together, Every Step is how we continue to deliver exceptional business results, experience an amazing place to work, and have a positive impact on the communities and world around us.

Job Title : Director, Product Development HOKA Innovation

Are you ready to apply Make sure you understand all the responsibilities and tasks associated with this role before proceeding.

Reports to : Vice President, Product Development

Location : Portland, OR

The Role

The Director of Product Development, HOKA Innovation, will lead the development of advanced concepts for footwear and apparel to deliver transformational experiences through unexpected innovation.

This role will act as a liaison between the Corporate Innovation Team and the HOKA Innovation team and will interface directly with third party laboratories and organizations compiling biomechanic research, athlete insights, material science, and learnings used to inform the build of prototypes.

All leaders at Deckers Brands must be able to demonstrate our leadership behaviors :

• Come As You Are
• Better Together
• Commit To Create
• Own It
• Do Good and Do Great

Your Impact

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional team including footwear, apparel and accessories development, materials development, product testing, and costing.
• Create and align processes, project workload, development assignments, cross-functional interactions, and deadlines.
• Partner with the Brand, In-Line Product Development, Engineering, Corporate Innovation at HQ and the HOKA Innovation team.
• Manage the development directly with overseas partner factories, suppliers and vendors and product testing with in-house networks or sponsored athletes.
• Assist the research engine of HOKA by partnering with Innovation & Engineering to build prototypes.
• Influence HOKA product creation and development towards the highest performance standards.
• Proactively seek, evaluate, monitor and integrate new technologies relevant to the industry and, in conjunction with peers and stakeholders, build best practices and standards for successful launch, develop, test, and validation.
• Identify in house and external testing prototyping and analysis capabilities. Interpret test results, solving for solutions to improve the build of product.

Build best practices for incorporating biomechanic research and test data informing future product builds.

• Develop and document short, mid and long-track calendars with partners and key stakeholders to launch innovated products.
• Work directly with HOKA sponsored athletes to identify product strengths and opportunities.
• Provide leadership and problem-solving support for product design prior to hand-off for identifying potential construction, material, or cost concerns.

Analyze designs, tech packs, garments, materials, color to identify and resolve any issues.

• Provide guidance to ensure timely generation of Bill of Materials (BOM).
• Provide leadership and streamline the Product Development process to increase end-to-end accountability.

Who You Are

• Able to guide partners and influence decision making.
• A Strong communicator with a passion for people.
• An open, curious, and adaptive problem-solver.

We’d love to hear from people with :

Education / Certifications :

• Bachelor's degree in Material Science, Engineering, Biomechanics, or equivalent work experience.
• MBA Degree preferred.

Work Experience :

• 12+ years progressive experience in the footwear and apparel industry for a global company.
• Mastered expertise and experience in building product specifications, material applications for product use and product constructions.
• Knowledge of footwear construction types, materials, testing protocols and the ability to interpret test results.
• Experience in digital creation, footwear speed business models and sustainability.
• Experience managing the facets of product costing including factory labor, overhead and profit to ensure that product is delivered at target costs.
• 8+ years of prior management experience.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership role covering multiple categories, markets and / or genders.

Skills / Competencies :

• Knowledge of Microsoft and Adobe applications.
• Expertise in product development, ability to mentor and teach.
• Advanced team building, project management, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership skills.
• Ability to cultivate a team environment and embrace creativity.
• Ability to multi-task and work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• A passion and general knowledge in sports of running, hiking, walking, or active lifestyle.
• Knowledge of FlexPLM or similar system.
• Expert ability to use the tools of the trade including calipers, hardness gauge, tape measures, profile gauges, Brannock device, etc.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally : factory visits, laboratory visits, conferences, seminars.

What We'll Give You

• Competitive Pay and Bonuses : We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued.
• Financial Planning and wellbeing : No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there.

Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.

• Time away from work : Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
• Extras, discounts and perks : Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community-based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras.
• Growth and Development : Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
• Health and Wellness : There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.

Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands.

We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all of the other beautiful parts of your identity.

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