Director, Athlete Intelligence - Biomechanics and Athlete Immersion

Under Armour•Baltimore, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Athlete Intelligence (Biomechanics and Athlete Immersion) is a vital role aimed directly at the heart of what we do: making athletes better by providing them performance solutions they never knew they needed but, once they have them, they won’t imagine being able to live without. This role will seek to understand every aspect of an athlete’s journey, identifying present and future opportunities to support athletes on and off the field. It will synthesize findings gathered from athlete conversations and observations and translate those insights into product opportunities and solutions that strengthen UA’s commercial advantage. This leader will guide a team that connects athlete voice, movement, performance, and product experience to uncover unmet needs and inform commercially relevant product decisions.

Requirements

PhD in sport/movement science, engineering, or a related field + 1 year of relevant experience.
M.S. in sport/movement science, engineering, or a related field + 2 years of relevant experience.
B.S. in sport/movement science, engineering, or a related field + 7 years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated expertise in conducting research and applying scientific insights.
Solid understanding of footwear design, construction, and materials.
Experience working across biomechanics, footwear, and mechanical and physiological testing.
Working knowledge of the sportswear and/or fitness industry.
Expert knowledge of footwear and sport biomechanics.
Strong working knowledge of relevant technical tools, including 3D Motion Analysis, Force Platforms, Pedar/Emed Pressure Measurement systems, HSV, etc.
Demonstrated ability to translate complex test data into actionable insights product teams can use to build best-in-class products.
Ability to take informed risks, own outcomes, and ensure ideas translate into measurable results. Strong intuition to find and solve problems using both consumer insight and design thinking.
Excellent computer skills across Mac and/or PC platforms; computer programming experience preferred.
Creative, with the ability to prioritize tasks and work under pressure to meet competing deadlines.
Ability to effectively manage people and lead concurrent projects.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to tailor complex information for audiences with varying technical and non-technical backgrounds.
Experience leading or significantly contributing to enterprise-level innovation projects and workstreams.

Nice To Haves

Computer programming experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the teams responsible for UA’s Biomechanics and Athlete Immersion capabilities.
Set the research, testing, and validation agenda for Biomechanics and Athlete Immersion in support of enterprise and category priorities.
Manage the execution of research and insight work that identifies athlete-centered product opportunities and advances solutions into innovation and development pipelines.
Establish athlete immersion practices that bring the brand closer to athletes across sports, using conversations, observations, and in-context learning to uncover unmet needs and performance challenges.
Connect athlete immersion insights to biomechanics research priorities, ensuring lab and field research are grounded in real athlete problems and focused on commercially relevant solutions.
Translate complex findings into scientific conclusions, product recommendations, and validated performance benefits for innovation and development teams.
Identify and adopt emerging research methods and technologies that improve UA’s ability to understand athlete needs and validate product solutions.
Inform short- and long-term strategy by integrating brand, category, research, and development plans.
Build trusted partnerships with category, design, development, and innovation teams to translate athlete, consumer, and category priorities into research questions, insight-based recommendations, and footwear portfolio decisions.
Manage internal and external research partnerships that expand technical capability, strengthen testing methods, and advance athlete-centered performance solutions.
Serve as a footwear and sport biomechanics expert within the broader Under Armour Innovation community.