Senior Manager, Innovation (Making & Making Facility - Footwear Concepts)
About The Position
At VF, we strive to foster a culture of belonging based on respect, connection, openness, and authenticity. So, before we get to the job details, take a minute to learn a little more about us – our values and our culture - visit VF Careers or www.vfc.com. What will you do? A day in the life of an Innovation Sr. Manager, Making & Making Facility – Footwear Concepts at VF looks a little like this. This role sits within our Innovation organization and supports concept creation work across global footwear initiatives. You’ll partner closely with Design, Engineering, Materials, and Advanced Innovation teams. At its core, this position leads the Making Facility—balancing operational management with hands on, high craft prototype creation that brings early concepts to life. This role reports to the VP of Innovation. Let’s break down that day-in-the-life a bit more.
Requirements
- Extensive experience in footwear prototyping, model making, fabrication, or hands on craft environments.
- Deep mastery across multiple making methods, including cut andandsew, patternmaking, molding/casting, foam construction, and digital fabrication.
- Experience managing a makerspace, fabrication lab, or advanced prototyping environment.
- Proven capability to personally build complex prototypes with exceptional craft and attention to detail.
- Strong leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and guide a technical team.
- Excellent communication, planning, and organizational skills to manage workflows and prioritize work effectively.
- Ability to develop, document, and maintain fabrication methods, processes, and safety practices.
- Strong problem-solvingsolving skills and the creativity to develop new fabrication techniques when needed.
- 7-10+ years of experience and professional achievements.
Nice To Haves
- Experience leading a high volume or highly complex prototyping environment.
- Proficiency in digital modeling tools such as Rhino, Fusion 360, or Blender.
- Experience documenting fabrication techniques or developing new methods.
- Familiarity with advanced materials, automation, or emerging fabrication technologies.
Responsibilities
- Lead daily operations of the Making Facility, ensuring the space is safe, organized, and set up for consistently high-quality work.
- Manage how prototype requests are received, prioritized, and scheduled so the team can support concepts generated across design and engineering.
- Personally build the most complex and experimental prototypes—setting the standard for craft, accuracy, and execution.
- Translate briefs, sketches, CAD models, and materials direction into clear build plans, including method selection and tooling needs.
- Troubleshoot challenging builds and develop new techniques, fixtures, or processes to solve unique fabrication problems.
- Lead, coach, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of makers, technicians, and specialists through hands on guidance and skill building.
- Manage all tools, equipment, and machinery within the Making Facility—including maintenance, upgrades, and new capability investments.
- Create and maintain SOPs, safety practices, and documentation that support high quality, repeatable builds.
- Collaborate closely with cross functional partners to support concept creation needs and share making knowledge across teams and geographies.
- Provide feasibility feedback on early ideas, acting as the bridge between conceptual direction and physical execution.
Benefits
- This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential.
- You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com and by clicking Looking to Join VF?
- Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
