ASSOCIATE MANAGER, FOOTWEAR DEVELOPMENT

Manage complex and footwear projects and/or the product development process for Inline, technical and complex products by supporting the respective Business Units and directly interact with Tier 1 supply partners and Agents. Job Responsibilities Manage complex and innovative projects or complex and technically challenging products across different functions and Business Units / Sport Categories Drive the inception of new footwear designs, components, processes, materials and concepts into a manufacturable and marketable finished product Act as the key contact person for development within category Plan and manage development calendars, manage external partner for “stand-alone” product categories. Actively develop and maintain a platform for sharing expert knowledge with the x-functional teams and across different BUs Develop, train and educate x-functional teams across BUs on Business Champion topics Support the onboarding process for new team members Guide and mentor team members Professional content: Take ownership for the entire development process for assigned products, with an emphasis on quality product development and timely completion of all tasks in accordance with the applicable product creation calendar. Qualifications Ability to apply technical understanding from one category to all other FW development categories in consequence be the contact person for complex cross-category questions Expert knowledge in several areas of the product creation process (FW construction, technology, manufacturing, material construction, sourcing etc.) Broad knowledge in the remaining areas of the product development process Ability to provide (technical) training in footwear engineering and product development to the whole development team; sourcing, technical and materials knowledge required Ability to create plans and deliver presentations.