Brooks Sports, Inc.:
Innovation Footwear Materials Developer II Job in HCM City, VT
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HCM City, VT
Full-time | Design - Footwear
About the job
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.
Your Job:
As our Innovation Footwear Material Developer (II), you will lead our material process for Innovation Materials. You will work with cross-functional product creation teams to support material development based on our longterm innovation strategy around materials for our products. You will work closely with other members of the Innovation team in US and Asia, as well as factories in Asia to meet material timelines and strategy goals. You will manage all phases of materials innovation; including setting goals, targets and presenting at various phases to ensure projects are on track. You will be expected to work independently with minimal direction; reporting into your manager on your goals and projects as required. You will carry out the research and development in materials which fuel and support the overall development and design efforts for the footwear team. You’ll bring new materials to the team and work closely with vendors to ensure that Brooks’ footwear product goals are achieved.
Your Responsibilities:
· Collaborate with Materials & Innovation teams to develop & create unique and innovative materials that executes Brooks’ materials strategy.
· Partner closely with T2 suppliers to create unique materials for Brooks’ which will funnel into our innovative pipeline and meet our overall materials strategy.
· Mentor and coachjunior Material Development team membersto advance their materials knowledge and understanding of Brooks processes.
· Work collaboratively with vendors (mills/textiles, synthetics, hardware, and other suppliers) to create & develop materials from a concept to actual production that align with Brooks’ quality standards, aesthetics, target prices, and availability needs.
· Continuously build advanced materials expertise and work to create a network of contacts within the industry. Anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots.”
· Continually research and analyze new materials opportunities and technologies in the marketplace; always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details and help wherever necessary.
· Attend material shows, meeting regularly with suppliers for line reviews and travelling to vendors when necessary.
· Ensure that Brooks has accurate complete specification sheets on all materials used in the product line.
· Work with Corporate Sustainability to manage the footwear initiatives pertinent to global laws, business requirements, and consumer expectations.
· Ensure all materials are complete and ready for tech transfer to inline teams as needed.
· Oversee coordination and review with Asia materials testing team, to ensure that all materials meet Brooks’ requirements.
· Collaborate with the Asia Lab team to establish test methods for materials research projects that fall outside the normal realm of industry standard procedures; utilizing laboratory testing from various external resources.
· Negotiate with Tier 2 vendors on delivery timelines for materials for the assigned projects; create and revise appropriate documentation for best practices; ensure all appropriate development documentation is maintained;
· Review testing with development team to ensure product quality: anticipate needs, solve problems, perform research and analyze results.
· Develop and maintain an organized materials library, complete with up-to-date materials, costing, testing history and specifications. Keep materials updated in our digital materials library (FlexPLM).
· Provide material best learnings to the developers, designers, and other interested groups.
· Submit, manage, and provide feedback on colour lab dips.
· Evaluate the risk factors associated with all material developments and communicate them to the product teams.
· Assist with inline materials R&D projects as necessary.
· Other responsibilities as required.
Qualifications:
Preferably hold a degree in a post-secondary discipline (ex. Associate degree, B.A, etc) and could be substituted with relevant experience.
5+ years experience leading the material development of high-performance footwear projects. Experience creating, innovating and customizing materials is a plus.
High level of understanding around material testing methods and requirements.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication.
Knowledge of textile manufacturing, dying, finishing and testing. Ability to analyze test information and subjective feedback in a concise and understandable manner.
· Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
Able to be assertive, self-motivated and work in a team environment.
Ability to analyze test information and provide subjective feedback in a concise and understandable manner
· Keep attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks, while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all the pieces fit together and affect one another.
· Demonstration of innovation and initiative – always looking at improving our products and processes while displaying a willingness to dive into the details.
· 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.
· Great problem solver, ability to make decisions independently
· Willingness to travel (Domestic/ International).
Computer proficiency with office software; MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive en
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.
Your Job:
As our Innovation Footwear Material Developer (II), you will lead our material process for Innovation Materials. You will work with cross-functional product creation teams to support material development based on our longterm innovation strategy around materials for our products. You will work closely with other members of the Innovation team in US and Asia, as well as factories in Asia to meet material timelines and strategy goals. You will manage all phases of materials innovation; including setting goals, targets and presenting at various phases to ensure projects are on track. You will be expected to work independently with minimal direction; reporting into your manager on your goals and projects as required. You will carry out the research and development in materials which fuel and support the overall development and design efforts for the footwear team. You’ll bring new materials to the team and work closely with vendors to ensure that Brooks’ footwear product goals are achieved.
Your Responsibilities:
· Collaborate with Materials & Innovation teams to develop & create unique and innovative materials that executes Brooks’ materials strategy.
· Partner closely with T2 suppliers to create unique materials for Brooks’ which will funnel into our innovative pipeline and meet our overall materials strategy.
· Mentor and coachjunior Material Development team membersto advance their materials knowledge and understanding of Brooks processes.
· Work collaboratively with vendors (mills/textiles, synthetics, hardware, and other suppliers) to create & develop materials from a concept to actual production that align with Brooks’ quality standards, aesthetics, target prices, and availability needs.
· Continuously build advanced materials expertise and work to create a network of contacts within the industry. Anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots.”
· Continually research and analyze new materials opportunities and technologies in the marketplace; always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details and help wherever necessary.
· Attend material shows, meeting regularly with suppliers for line reviews and travelling to vendors when necessary.
· Ensure that Brooks has accurate complete specification sheets on all materials used in the product line.
· Work with Corporate Sustainability to manage the footwear initiatives pertinent to global laws, business requirements, and consumer expectations.
· Ensure all materials are complete and ready for tech transfer to inline teams as needed.
· Oversee coordination and review with Asia materials testing team, to ensure that all materials meet Brooks’ requirements.
· Collaborate with the Asia Lab team to establish test methods for materials research projects that fall outside the normal realm of industry standard procedures; utilizing laboratory testing from various external resources.
· Negotiate with Tier 2 vendors on delivery timelines for materials for the assigned projects; create and revise appropriate documentation for best practices; ensure all appropriate development documentation is maintained;
· Review testing with development team to ensure product quality: anticipate needs, solve problems, perform research and analyze results.
· Develop and maintain an organized materials library, complete with up-to-date materials, costing, testing history and specifications. Keep materials updated in our digital materials library (FlexPLM).
· Provide material best learnings to the developers, designers, and other interested groups.
· Submit, manage, and provide feedback on colour lab dips.
· Evaluate the risk factors associated with all material developments and communicate them to the product teams.
· Assist with inline materials R&D projects as necessary.
· Other responsibilities as required.
Qualifications:
Preferably hold a degree in a post-secondary discipline (ex. Associate degree, B.A, etc) and could be substituted with relevant experience.
5+ years experience leading the material development of high-performance footwear projects. Experience creating, innovating and customizing materials is a plus.
High level of understanding around material testing methods and requirements.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication.
Knowledge of textile manufacturing, dying, finishing and testing. Ability to analyze test information and subjective feedback in a concise and understandable manner.
· Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
Able to be assertive, self-motivated and work in a team environment.
Ability to analyze test information and provide subjective feedback in a concise and understandable manner
· Keep attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks, while still seeing the big picture and understanding how all the pieces fit together and affect one another.
· Demonstration of innovation and initiative – always looking at improving our products and processes while displaying a willingness to dive into the details.
· 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.
· Great problem solver, ability to make decisions independently
· Willingness to travel (Domestic/ International).
Computer proficiency with office software; MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive en