Lead - Footwear Developer - PAD + Young Movers

In short

As the Lead Developer for PAD (Lifestyle) + Young Movers (Kids), you will be responsible for inline Lifestyle products in our fastest-growing, largest product vertical, alongside specialized development engineered specifically for the young movers in our community.

Honing craft takes time. It requires patience, resilience, and a dedication to the complex integration of footwear construction and systems. In this role, you are an individual contributor operating at the intersection of high-performance design for all-day wear and disciplined Swiss Engineering.

Your mission

• Commit to the Craft: You will lead the technical development for new silhouettes across both Adult and Kids categories, ensuring that every product meets strict engineering standards for performance, aesthetic, and fit.

• Master Complex Integration: You will serve as the primary technical partner to Design, converting creative dreams into commercial reality without compromising on function.

• Bridge the Generations: You will translate adult performance concepts into kid-specific footwear, understanding the unique biomechanical and durability needs of younger, developing feet.

• Execute the Technical Lifecycle: Manage the end-to-end development process from initial 2D/3D design concepts through tech-packing, prototyping, and final production-ready samples.

• Drive Material & Tooling Innovation: Partner with material sourcing and tooling teams to test, validate, and implement new compounds, textiles, and manufacturing methods.

• Lead Fit & Wear Testing: Oversee rigorous fit and wear testing protocols for both adults and kids, analyzing feedback to iterate and optimize comfort, support, and durability.

• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Act as the central technical hub between Design, Product Management, Sourcing, and Tier 1 factory partners to ensure timelines and margin targets are met.

• Optimize for Scale: Ensure blueprints and construction methods are optimized for mass production while maintaining the pristine aesthetic integrity of the brand.

Your story

• The Technical Authority: You bring 7+ years of footwear development experience, with a proven track record of launching highly complex, performance-driven lifestyle or athletic products. Experience in kids' footwear development is a massive plus.

• Resilient Individual Contributor: You have the patience and persistence to navigate the long development road. You take full accountability for the technical lifecycle and thrive when managing independent projects.

• A Problem Solver by Nature: Ingenuity is at your core. You think differently, challenge the status quo, and find elegance in solving the most difficult construction puzzles while maintaining superior performance.

• Global Collaborator: You have extensive experience working directly with overseas commercialization centers and factories, understanding how to communicate technical nuances across cultures.

Your Keys to Success...

• Thrive in Ambiguity: You don't wait for a perfect roadmap. In a fast-scaling environment, parameters change quickly; you view shifting priorities as an opportunity to innovate rather than a roadblock.

• Biased for Action (With Guardrails): You possess a strong sense of urgency. You know when to move fast and trust your gut, and when to pause to ensure Swiss-engineered quality isn't compromised.

• The "No Job Too Small" Mindset: Despite your seniority as a Lead, you are a hands-on builder. You are just as excited to brainstorm high-level platform concepts with Design as you are to roll up your sleeves and fix a tech-pack error.

• Comfortable with Constructive Friction: Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You welcome diverse perspectives, lean into healthy debate with Design and Product management, and use pushback to sharpen the final product.

• Continuous Learner: The footwear landscape—especially in sustainable materials and circularity—is evolving daily. You are naturally curious, constantly scouting new methods, and eager to apply fresh learnings to the PAD and Kids lines.