Altra: Footwear Development Director

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: Footwear Development Director

What will you do?

A day in the life of a Footwear Development Director at Altra looks a little like this.

The Product Development Director leads Altra’s development process from design stage through production confirmation and supervises the USPD team.  This role is ultimately responsible for the timely and successful completion of a product that delights Altra’s customers and supports its financial goals.  This role will report directly to the Sr. Director of Product for Altra.

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

• Lead and supervise Altra’s footwear product development process, including direct oversight and accountability for commercialization processes, timelines, and hitting budgeted cost structures.
• Create, implement and manage development calendar and timelines for standard cycles as well as suggesting and managing alternatives for non-standard requests.
• Deliver best-in-class product performance and integrity through design and administration of Altra’s wear testing program using clear metrics and testing procedures for both fit and wear.  Ensure all product is tested appropriately and successfully commercialized for mass production. 
• Lead communications with Supply Chain to manage product and purchase order information, collaborate with PD-Asia on product and supplier readiness.
• Assist with department budget administration – specifically development materials, tooling investments, and wear test costs.
• Ensures that footwear products are sampled, proven and tested, completed on time, viable for manufacturing, satisfy design intent and performance targets, and meet costing and sustainability goals.
• Oversee process between HQ PD and PD-Asia through commercialization, liaise with manufacturing to ensure commercialization specs are transferred seamlessly and exactly into production.
• Maintain open communication with sourcing functions, innovation, costing, materials, planning, quality control, and innovation.
• Understand tooling investment for assigned projects, select mold shops, communicate mold investments, and component pricing.
• Constructively engage with design and product leads to recommend materials, components, process and construction options in order to meet key material and product performance goals.
• Manage USPD team to deliver timely creation, delivery, and approval of all relevant technical information (shell patterns, 2D’s, 3D’s, lasts, patterns, blue-prints, cost sheets, BOM etc.)
• Collaborate with Brand QA/QC leads to establish and learn from root cause analysis pertaining to defective returns and misc quality challenges; provide direction to product team based on these results.
• Lead seasonal development allocation and sourcing decisions with VFA and factor partners.
• Challenge and support innovation of our manufacturing processes in factory, and when needed, source new suppliers, factories and technologies to support the advancement Altra’s product goals.
• Coach, mentor and develop the Product Development team, including guidance for the ability to use the tools of the trade (calipers, hardness gauges, tape measure, profile gauge, Brannock device) and guidance for analyzing technical drawings, patterns, components and lasts.

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 great to have, we are most interested in your 10+ years of experience in footwear wear industry, including development, commercialization, production and people management.

The foundation skills you will need in this position are:

• Abilit