Manager Footwear Development / Athlete Product Excellence - Performance Basketball
About The Position
This is a hybrid role between BB Development and Athlete Product Excellence (APEX). Lead the full development process for assigned footwear projects, with a focus on engineering excellence, athlete-driven performance, and innovative problem-solving. Partner directly with athletes, product management, and design to translate sport-specific needs and biomechanical insights into footwear solutions that enhance performance on court. Collaborate with suppliers and factories to develop new construction methods, materials, and manufacturing processes that push the boundaries of basketball footwear. Engineer products for both elite custom solutions (athlete-specific footwear) and scalable inline performance models, balancing innovation, manufacturability, and cost efficiency. Provide technical solutions through rapid prototyping, materials analysis, and applied biomechanics, ensuring all designs meet adidas quality standards. Drive accuracy and timeliness across systems and samples, while achieving key KPIs (margins, sustainability, on-time delivery). Mentor junior team members, fostering a culture of innovation, technical curiosity, and continuous improvement. Support cross-functional innovation projects that influence the future of performance footwear. Support local athlete visits and/or on the road visits for product testing with athletes Act as liaison between the Inline Development and Athlete Product Excellence teams (APEX) Drive performance creation process with Inline & APEX teams at key milestones with test samples, tech files, athlete insights, key sizes, etc. Manage, confirm and upload CADs for key athlete projects.
Requirements
- Deep knowledge of the footwear creation process (lasts, patterns, construction, tooling, testing).
- Strong understanding of sport-specific movement, biomechanics, and athlete performance needs.
- Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
- Experience working with new technologies, innovations, and rapid prototyping tools.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across diverse teams and directly with athletes.
- Business acumen and problem-solving mindset.
- Fluent in English; additional languages a plus.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (up to 20%)
- University degree in Engineering, Sport Science (Biomechanics, Physiology, etc) or related field;
- 2+ years of relevant experience in footwear product development, ideally with exposure to performance or athlete-specific footwear.
- Passion for basketball and innovation in sport performance
Responsibilities
- Lead the full development process for assigned footwear projects, with a focus on engineering excellence, athlete-driven performance, and innovative problem-solving.
- Partner directly with athletes, product management, and design to translate sport-specific needs and biomechanical insights into footwear solutions that enhance performance on court.
- Collaborate with suppliers and factories to develop new construction methods, materials, and manufacturing processes that push the boundaries of basketball footwear.
- Engineer products for both elite custom solutions (athlete-specific footwear) and scalable inline performance models, balancing innovation, manufacturability, and cost efficiency.
- Provide technical solutions through rapid prototyping, materials analysis, and applied biomechanics, ensuring all designs meet adidas quality standards.
- Drive accuracy and timeliness across systems and samples, while achieving key KPIs (margins, sustainability, on-time delivery).
- Mentor junior team members, fostering a culture of innovation, technical curiosity, and continuous improvement.
- Support cross-functional innovation projects that influence the future of performance footwear.
- Support local athlete visits and/or on the road visits for product testing with athletes
- Act as liaison between the Inline Development and Athlete Product Excellence teams (APEX)
- Drive performance creation process with Inline & APEX teams at key milestones with test samples, tech files, athlete insights, key sizes, etc.
- Manage, confirm and upload CADs for key athlete projects.
Benefits
- adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage.
- Employees are able to enroll in adidas' 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match.
- Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
- Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance.
- Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Industry
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
