Footwear Materials Developer

We are looking for a Footwear Materials Developer with a passion for innovation and a knack for bringing concepts to life? Join our client's dynamic team as a Materials Developer and play a pivotal role in the creation of next-generation footwear. Candidates must have a portfolio. You'll be instrumental in selecting, testing, and implementing cutting-edge materials that define the look, feel, and performance of products across various categories. Your expertise will directly impact the manufacturability and aesthetic appeal of new designs, ensuring our client continues to deliver unparalleled quality and innovation to the market. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-visibility projects within a collaborative and fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the material sampling process for multiple projects, meticulously evaluating and selecting the optimal materials to meet design and performance specifications.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure material choices align with product vision and manufacturability requirements.
• Contribute to critical product development initiatives, ensuring timely and effective material solutions.
• Apply a deep understanding of material properties and manufacturing processes to translate design concepts into scalable, mass-producible products.
• Actively participate in a highly collaborative team environment, making collective decisions and incorporating feedback effectively to drive project success.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of dedicated materials development experience in the footwear industry.
• Proven ability to meet aggressive timelines and thrive in fast-paced, consumer-driven environments.
• A highly collaborative mindset, demonstrating strong teamwork, collective decision-making skills, and an openness to feedback.
• A compelling portfolio showcasing a variety of work, emphasizing manufacturability and the translation of designs into mass-production realities.
• Experience developing materials for a diverse range of footwear types or across multiple organizations is a nice-to-have
• A strong understanding of material supplier relationships and how to effectively manage them is a nice-to-have.
• Proficiency with a variety of materials and their applications, including leathers, synthetics, and other innovative textiles, is a nice-to-have.

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Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands. Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits! Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.