Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization: 

Leads and manages a team of product developers in the creation and commercialization of PERFORMANCE footwear for our Originals Basketball Team. Individual will work closely with internal and external Designers, external collaboration partners and inline off-calendar teams to develop pinnacle PERFORMANCE products. Actively monitors development calendars to ensure deadlines, costing KPIs and quality standards are met. Acts as an advocate for product integrity by working closely with cross functional creation center teams as well as all related support services. Person is a champion for product and material innovation/exploration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure achievement of goals and objectives set by the business unit through partnership with Marketing and Design
• Proactively communicate on an on-going basis with team, supervisors and cross functional teams to ensure a smooth product development process
• Provide direction and inspire the team to ensure both the creation and commercialization processes are synergized with focus on results
• Research new technologies and materials and communicate to Design and Marketing on new potential development options
• Work closely with off-calendar team to drive new constructions and materials to be adopted in seasonal product
• Drive and execute key initiatives and provide input to short, mid and long term planning and budgeting
• Coordinate with Sourcing Team to review product needs and to determine appropriate sourcing direction based on quality, delivery and price
• Drive the cost engineering process to achieve the best possible product cost throughout the creation process
• Communicate to internal and external teams seasonal product initiatives, process changes and longer-term category vision
• Ensure continuous product and process improvement with emphasis on developing products in accordance with the operating calendar
• Be responsible for Buy Ready/CWA performance through strong interfaces with Marketing, Design,
• WORK WITH TECHNICAL SERVICES TEAM (pattern and Tooling ) COLLABORATE ON WORKLOADS, DRIVE PRODUCT PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY
• WORK CLOSELY WITH MATERIAL TEAM, ENSURE PRODUCT COST, PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY STANDARDS ARE MET
• Be responsible for monitoring and continuously improving workload and organizational efficiency
• Allocate/delegate the different products/projects to the respective development teams considering experience, product complexity and workload
• Lead the seasonal pre-allocation process based on service and product needs
• Provide team with clear direction, projects and targets that are aligned with business needs and GOPS objectives
• Create a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are challenged, coached, trained and provided with career opportunities

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong communication (both written and verbal) and facilitation (small and large groups) skills
• Ability to deliver effective and persuasive presentations on complex topics to diverse audiences
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate and define problems, synthesize complex data and develop innovative solutions
• Ability to think end-to-end with a global mindset
• Ability to manage through change, make decisions and act comfortably with risk and uncertainty
• Ability to provide a clear framework for performance to direct reports
• Ability to coach, guide, manage and develop a team
• Good understanding of sourcing allocation impact on product from a quality and cost perspective
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Strong IT skills ( MS office, PLM Systems )
• Travel, domestic and international as required by business needs

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:   

• Four-year college or university degree with emphasis on clothing technology and/or manufacturing
• Minimum 10-15 years of progressive work experience in the footwear, apparel and textile industry, preferably with experience in both Brand HQs and Asia
• 10-15 years of experience in Production and Development
• 5-10 years of experience managing a team