Head of Footwear (Design and Development)

Build the product-creation function behind a growing international footwear brand

On behalf of our client, we're searching for a Head of Design & Development to take ownership of its footwear collection and help shape the creative team behind its next stage of growth.

Location : Remote; open to candidates based in the US, Europe or Asia

Working model : Regular collaboration across the US and Asia, with travel to China at key product milestones

Engagement : Full-time preferred. A paid interim or freelance project may be considered as a route into a longer-term role.

About our client
Our client is a premium comfort-footwear brand built for how people actually live. Drawing on its Italian heritage, it designs from the inside out: fit, feel and function first, then a refined and timeless silhouette around them.

The brand sells direct to consumers and through wholesale partners across Europe and the USA. Its product is established in the market and its international footprint is expanding. The business is now building a small, senior team to turn strong product instincts into a clear and repeatable approach to creating footwear.

That is where you come in.

The role
You will lead the footwear collection and design direction, translating the founders' broader brand vision into clear product decisions. You'll bring together design, customer needs, price and function, and work closely with the sales team to shape a commercially relevant range.

This is a hands-on creative leadership role. You'll stay close to the product while setting clear briefs, milestones and review points for the wider team. You'll partner with the China-based Product Execution Manager, who leads the supplier interface and day-to-day technical follow-through through sampling and production.

The challenge is to create distinctive, commercially relevant footwear that balances comfort and useful product features with a refined design and the right target price.

A strong Senior Footwear Designer ready to take on broader collection ownership may also be considered.

Your trajectory
You will take creative ownership of the collection and help shape the design team as the business grows. The founders will continue to set the broader brand vision and make selected key product decisions, while you lead the day-to-day collection direction and guide the wider team.

The role is hands-on and offers the opportunity to build a clear, dependable way of working around the product, with less routine founder follow-up.

Your first 90 days

Establish one live development calendar with gates, owners, risks and decision dates.

Audit every active style, sample round, cost target, test and production dependency.

Define approval gates for design, fit, construction, materials, tooling and production release.

Establish recurring research and swatch requests and a monthly decision review with the product-creation team.

Shorten founder follow-up through weekly decision-ready reviews.

Close one current style from sample stage to a documented production-ready decision.

What you will own

Lead seasonal design and development from brief through commercialization.

Turn market and sales input into focused decisions rather than forwarding raw opinions.

Translate product direction into milestones, specifications, cost targets and factory actions.

Manage development partners, factories, mold and pattern resources, material suppliers and testing.

Own sample reviews, risk registers, corrective actions and technical handoffs.

Build a small, accountable Asia product-creation team and a dependable working cadence.

Protect the brand's focus on comfort, value and visual restraint through every product decision.

What we are looking for

Around six or more years of footwear design or product-creation experience, with multiple commercialised styles or collections.

Strong footwear design judgement and experience taking products from concept through development and into the market.

Experience with collection planning and commercial decisions such as range changes, drops or SKU choices.

An understanding of comfort, lifestyle or casual footwear, with an eye for materials, textiles and functional features.

Hands-on factory or development-centre experience in China or Asia.

The confidence to bring structure to a growing business and work across design, sales and development.

Clear communication and the ability to explain design intent, review samples and make practical decisions with others.

A strong understanding of the US footwear customer, ideally through work with US brands, retailers or markets. US residence is an advantage, but not essential.

Some experience guiding or mentoring others. Extensive people-management experience is not essential.

You may already be leading a design team, or you may be a strong senior footwear designer ready to take on broader collection ownership. Experience with premium or heritage footwear can be valuable when it includes real product ownership and commercial results. The key requirement is relevant footwear experience and sound product judgement.

What we offer

A competitive compensation package and bonus structure

A remote working model with location-appropriate travel to key product milestones.

Real ownership in a founder-led brand at a pivotal growth stage.

Direct influence over the design team and the way the product function develops.

Home-office or coworking support can be discussed as part of the overall package.

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