Altra: Footwear Developer, Special Projects & Collaborations

VF Corporation•Denver, CO

About The Position

A day in the life of a Specialist Footwear Developer – Special Projects & Collaborations centers on supporting high‑visibility development programs that often involve designers, partners, athletes, and third‑party collaborators, while maintaining Altra’s performance, fit, quality, and cost standards. This role contributes to the development from Design Review through Commercialization, with increased emphasis on coordination, cross‑functional alignment, and external collaboration. You will support alignment between creative vision and development execution.

Requirements

4+ years of footwear product development experience, with exposure to special projects, collaborations, or premium initiatives preferred.
Experience working on cross-functional projects within the product development lifecycle.
Understanding of the end‑to‑end footwear development process, from brief hand‑off to production confirmation.
Knowledge of footwear materials, and manufacturing processes.
Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple timelines and stakeholders simultaneously.
Highly collaborative communication style, able to build trust across Merchandising, Product, Marketing, and Design.
Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, PLM systems, and Microsoft Office.
Willingness to support domestic and overseas travel and flexibility during peak development periods.

Responsibilities

Support special projects and collaborative footwear initiatives from concept through production, ensuring alignment between design intent, performance requirements, and manufacturability.
Partner with external collaborators and internal cross-functional partners, guiding product feasibility and execution while protecting Altra standards.
Assist in building and maintaining accurate workback schedules and milestone tracking to drive cross-functional alignment.
Work closely with Merchandising, Product Management, and Design to align seasonal and project‑specific objectives, timelines, and deliverables.
Proactively manage project timelines, highlighting risks and helping teams stay aligned to key milestones.
Collaborate with VF Asia Development, Engineering, Costing, and Manufacturing teams to deliver products at target margin and cost.
Ensure complete and accurate technical packages are created, published, and maintained in Flex PLM, including CADs, BOMs, specifications, patterns, and project documentation.
Assist in addressing quality concerns, working cross‑functionally to protect brand integrity and performance claims across marketing, sales, and product supply.