Footwear Developer, Women’s

Rothy's•San Francisco, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Rothy’s is looking for a creative and analytical Footwear Developer to support the development of innovative, high-quality footwear that delights customers. This role is hands-on and highly collaborative, partnering closely with Product Design, Merchandising, Production, and our factory teams to bring footwear from concept through commercialization. The Footwear Developer plays a key role in executing development milestones, ensuring technical integrity, cost targets, and timelines are met.

Requirements

4–6 years of footwear product development and/or production experience
Bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Engineering, Industrial Design, or another applicable technical field
Working knowledge of footwear construction, materials, components, costing, testing, and manufacturing processes
Experience reviewing and analyzing costing and testing data to support product improvements
Understanding of the footwear development and commercialization lifecycle
Experience working with Asia-based factories or vendors
Strong computer skills, including PLM and Google Sheets/Docs/Slides; Adobe Illustrator experience a plus

Nice To Haves

Able to interpret design intent and product needs with growing independence and technical confidence
A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment and is comfortable learning on the fly
Collaborative, solutions-oriented, and eager to partner across teams
Curious, adaptable, and open to feedback and new ways of working
A clear and effective communicator with internal and external partners
Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and follow-through

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Product Design, Merchandising, and factory partners to develop footwear from concept through commercialization, supporting alignment to design intent, quality standards, cost targets, and timelines
Evaluate bottoms, components, upper patterns, knitting, materials, and constructions from fit, performance, durability, costing, and manufacturing feasibility perspectives
Provide technical input and identify potential risks early in the development process, proposing alternative solutions as needed
Support resolution of product development issues by partnering cross-functionally to deliver cost-effective and timely solutions
Analyze cost differences across prototypes and sample stages; review CBDs, yields, and material usage, and support cost negotiations to achieve margin goals
Partner with integrity and quality teams to support fit consistency, comfort, and performance from development through production
Evaluate materials and components for physical properties, performance, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness to ensure appropriate application
Participate as a key contributor in all sample reviews (prototype, development, fit, confirmation, TOP) to support quality and executional consistency
Help coordinate and contribute to cross-functional development meetings to review progress, align on decisions, and support on-time delivery
Maintain clear, proactive communication with factory and vendor partners throughout development and production
Identify opportunities to improve product integrity, development efficiency, and cost savings, contributing ideas and solutions to the broader team