Footwear Materials Developer

Materials Developer 3 - Footwear (Contract Role)
On-site | 4/1 Hybrid | WHQ

Overview
Placement Type: Temporary

Salary: $33.60-37.33 Hourly

up to $37.33/hr

Start Date: Jun 29, 2026

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Footwear Materials Developer to support end-to-end materials creation and development within a fast-paced product creation environment. This role partners closely with Design, Product Development, Engineering, Materials Planning, and Global Suppliers to bring seasonal material direction to life while ensuring performance, cost, sustainability, and manufacturing feasibility.

You will manage materials from concept through commercialization readiness—ensuring on-time delivery, strong execution against critical timelines, and alignment to design intent.

This is a contract role supporting a maternity leave coverage with a highly collaborative, cross-functional team environment.

What You'll Do

Lead and manage the materials development lifecycle from concept through commercialization readiness

Partner with design and product creation teams to translate design intent into manufacturable material solutions

Collaborate with global vendors and manufacturers (including Asia-based partners) to develop and deliver materials on schedule

Ensure materials meet performance, cost, quality, and sustainability requirements

Track and manage multiple development projects against critical seasonal calendars and deadlines

Support material readiness for production and commercialization

Provide clarity and solutions when issues arise across sourcing, development, or vendor execution

Contribute to seasonal material direction, palettes, and material innovation efforts

What We're Looking For (Must Haves)

6+ years of experience in materials development, product development, or product creation, ideally within footwear (apparel acceptable)

Strong understanding of materials creation processes and manufacturing workflows

Direct experience working within footwear or performance product creation environments

Proven ability to manage complex, deadline-driven development calendars

Experience working with external suppliers or manufacturers, ideally global

Ability to translate design intent into feasible, production-ready materials

Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across design, development, and supply chain teams

High attention to detail with strong ownership and follow-through

Nice to Have

Direct experience working with material mills or manufacturers

Exposure to footwear-specific product development (running or performance footwear a plus)

Familiarity with lab testing and interpreting material performance results

Experience in seasonal product creation cycles

Background in Materials Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Ideal Candidate Profile

Self-starter who can operate independently in a fast-paced environment

Strong communicator who can align global teams and external partners

Highly organized with strong execution discipline and deadline management

Problem solver who can offer alternative material or process solutions

Comfortable balancing tradeoffs across cost, performance, sustainability, and design intent

Collaborative team player who thrives in cross-functional product creation environments #LI-AJ1

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