Altra: Manager, Product Engineering - Footwear

Now that you’ve found the job description, what’s next?

At Altra, we are on a never-ending journey to seek out opportunities to unlock potential in ourselves and others and to create a more diverse and inclusive running community. When we’re all working together as the best versions of ourselves, we can feel empowered both individually and as a community.

So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture. If you can see yourself working side-by-side with a team of people driven to discover more about ourselves and the world around us, Altra just may be the place for you.

To learn more about our values and our culture, visit Altra Careers or www.altrarunning.com.

Position: Manager, Product Engineering - Footwear

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Manager, Product Engineering - Footwear at Altra looks a little like this.

The Manager, Product Engineering - Footwear will be responsible for driving product engineering for global development, with a focus on performance through best-in-class fit and ride. This will be achieved during the development process, from the first design review through commercialization. The role is accountable for engineering the highest level of manufacturable, innovative, and quality products that meet the brand’s standards. Reporting to the Footwear Development Director, the manager will ensure projects align with the product development timeline by collaborating with various teams to establish and execute on technical engineering best practices.

Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.

• Lead product engineering across development for pattern, tooling and components.
• Lead and manage new last developments and last revisions as identified by the product team, driving best-in-class fit initiatives.
• Manage and collaborate with Development, Product Management, Design, VF Asia Development & Sourcing, Materials, and vendors to establish technical engineering best practices for our various product types, technologies, lasts, fit, foams, and compounds of our products.
• Oversee the technical review and approval processes at all key milestones. This includes lab, fit, and dynamic wear test analysis. Verification that all standards are met and within tolerances, while ensuring that materials and constructions match the Bill of Materials (BOM) specifications.
• Manage a top of production review process and communication with the VF Sourcing Office and factory development and commercialization teams.
• Support short- and long-term strategies for midsole and outsole compound developments, from initial testing to seasonal product implementation.
• Support the wear testing program from 1st prototype to top of production in collaboration with testing and development team. This includes tester selection, survey creation, soliciting feedback, evaluating and analyzing results to drive product improvements.
• Manage and mentor a junior Product Testing Analyst, educating them on the knowledge and expertise of product quality, performance testing and product integrity.

What do you need to succeed?

We all have unique skills that we bring to work and celebrate every day. For this role, there are foundation skills you’ll need to succeed and excel. Additionally, while formal education in a related field is beneficial, we are primarily interested in candidates with 5+ years of experience in Footwear Product Engineering and Development within the footwear industry, preferably in performance athletic footwear.

The foundational skills you will need in this position are:

• Self-starter with the ability to independently manage moderate to highly complex product projects while adhering to the product creation calendar.
• Strong and proactive problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to create trust and build partnerships with cross functional teams.
• Detail oriented with a strong work ethic, project management, organizational and teamwork skills.
• Demonstrate an advanced knowledge and expertise of technical development including an understanding of fit, pattern engineering, tooling processes, mold and upper construction and manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D CAD tools and the ability to read technical blueprint designs, for both tooling and upper design.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal with domestic and international cross functional teams.
• Profi