Brooks Sports, Inc.:
Director, Brooks Runner Performance Lab Job in Seattle, VT

Who We Are: Brooks is a team of passionate people united by a desire to do meaningful work, lead healthy lives and make a difference. We share a focused mission: to inspire everyone to run and be active. That’s it. No distractions—it’s all about the run. Through science, creativity, service, authenticity and connection, we obsess over delivering the best running gear on the planet. We do it our way, with our unique spirit, with a goal of being more relevant to runners than any other brand, day after day and mile after mile. We are determined to innovate, challenging ourselves to lead thought at every turn. Inside these walls and on the roads, tracks and trails, we live and breathe Run Happy, celebrating the positive impact running has on our lives and others. We inject it into all we do because it makes everything better, smarter, more fun and more memorable. Our company culture defines us, bonds us together and creates the conditions for success. It is lived daily as a behavioral expression of our collective set of brand values: Connect with People, Innovate for our Customer, Compete as a Team, Build Trust, Have Fun & Bring Passion, and Be Active. If you’re on our team, it means you’re part of creating something extraordinary. You’re part of Brooks. The Director, Brooks Runner Performance Lab is responsible for leading and managing a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to conduct research on the mechanics of running motion and develop new insights, technologies, products and processes that will enhance the running experience. In this role, you will utilize your advanced knowledge of running biomechanics, scientist method, data science and brand to create and execute a long-term vision for the RPL. You will act as a manager and mentor for creative scientists, providing the leadership and vision to question methods, results and applications, and think outside the box to find creative and innovative solutions that will advance our current state of art running uniform. You will be a resident expert of all the biomechanical, mechanical, data analysis and runner testing done in our state of the art Runner Performance Lab, and continuously look to improve the labs abilities by developing the team and bringing online new resources and protocols. The successful candidate will provide leadership and guidance on designing studies, selecting appropriate and innovative statistical methods, analyses, interpretation, and reporting of study results and will be a key member of the Product Leadership Team. The Director, Brooks Runner Performance lab takes pride in being able to research and create solutions from a runner-centered approach to create innovative solutions and products that lead our industry and delight runners. Responsibilities: • Establish and provide leadership to the RPL team to set a collaborative culture of excellence, high performance and learning • Lead, mentor and manage multidisciplinary teams (biomechanists, physiologist, cognitive & systems scientists, analysts, product engineers, innovators) in the creation of new philosophies, concepts and product in alignment with our innovation initiatives while executing critical research, development and validation. • Utilize in-depth knowledge of biomechanical principles to develop unique creative research studies to explore new innovative ideas in order to advance our product, materials, and processes to drive innovation with regards to performance, fit, comfort and injury prevention. • Lead and participate in strategic discussions to define the strategic vision for RPL. Provides functional leadership to ensure successful development and execution of the RPL research agenda and product portfolio. • Oversee the daily operations of the Brooks Runner Performance Lab, research and product programs driving the strategic vision for RPL and leveraging insights to inform Brooks’ broader global innovation agenda • Network with industry leaders and participate in key industry functions to communicate Brooks’ point of view and help shape the current thinking of running biomechanics. Publish when applicable. • Manage outside researcher portfolio and contracts • Provide support, coaching, consultation, career pathing and training for the team to foster a culture of innovation, learning, and personal development. • Create and foster a culture of innovation and learning • Manage assigned departmental budgets & resources to ensure goals are met with optimal use of resources. Qualifications: • Ph.D. in human movement science (biomechanics, kinesiology), engineering, biomedical or related field plus 3-5 years of relevant work experience. • 10+ years’ experience in lieu of a graduate degree. • Proven track record creating a robust research vision and agenda, and leading teams towards a common goal • Successful experience teaching, training and presenting biomechanical theory and research to scientific and non-technical audiences in order to communicate Brooks’ point of view. Experience presenting to media a plus • Strong project management skills with a keen attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks (self and through others), while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all of the pieces fit together and affect one another. • Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop highly productive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds resulting in effective working relationships across the company. • Curious and open minded; always up for a challenge, inventive and creative. Ability to challenge the status quo- always looking at improving our people, products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details. • Possess an advanced understanding of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics of running, biomechanical principles, biometrics, statistical methods and predictive analytics to create experimental designs with an understanding of performance and injury mechanisms for running. • Strong analytical skills and demonstrated experience in gathering, interpreting and analyzing data in clinical research and product development with experience applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to design, develop and commercialize consumer products • Significant experience in writing programs to analyze biomechanical data is strongly preferred (MATLAB, visual 3D, LabVIEW, C/C++) • Advanced knowledge and experience in use of biomechanics systems for analyzing running/walking gait (3D mocap systems (Motion Analysis, Vicon, Qualisys), Visual 3D, plantar pressure systems (Novel, Tekscan)) • Ability to troubleshoot all existing tools commonly used for biomechanical or field analysis and problem solve by creating new tools/ and or methods when applicable to solve specific scientific inquiry. • Computer proficiency with office software; MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication. • Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner in order to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community. • Embraces and lives the Brooks values! • Global travel 10% of the time. Brooks is an equal employment opportunity employer and strives to comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on any protected class. Brooks is committed to affording equal employment opportunity to all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, the presence of a sensory, physical or mental disability, military status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law. This commi