Senior Manager, Product Development

Rothy's•San Francisco, CA

1d•$152,000 - $192,000•Onsite

About The Position

Rothy’s is looking for a Sr. Manager, Product Development (Footwear) to lead footwear development end to end, from concept through commercialization. You’ll be a trusted technical expert and people leader, guiding a team of developers while driving the strategies, processes and decisions that shape how we build product. Reporting to the Director, Footwear Product Development, you’ll help drive department strategy and partner with leaders across Product Design, Merchandising, Sustainability, Production and our factory to deliver sustainable, high-quality footwear that delights customers and lands on time and on margin. This role will require occasional meetings outside of office hours to partner with our factory and vendors across time zones.

Requirements

10+ years of hands-on footwear product development experience, including experience leading teams
A bachelor’s degree in biomechanics, engineering, kinesiology, textile science or a related technical field; equivalent experience will be considered
Deep knowledge of footwear construction, materials, knitting, tooling, lasts, testing and costing
Proven experience reviewing CBDs, analyzing yields and testing data, and negotiating costs to meet margin targets
A deep understanding of the footwear development and commercialization process, with experience improving calendars, sample gates and PLM practices to support growth
Advanced knowledge of last and fit development, including shape, proportion, grading and fit standards
Experience working directly with Asia-based factories and vendors
Strong systems proficiency, including PLM, BOM management and Google Workspace; Adobe Illustrator experience a plus

Nice To Haves

Accessories or handbag experience a plus
Able to travel domestically (1-3 times per year) and internationally (quarterly)

Responsibilities

Own footwear development across the portfolio from concept through commercialization, delivering on aesthetic, fit, quality, cost and timeline goals
Partner with leaders in Product Design, Merchandising and Sustainability on seasonal planning and strategy, translating design intent into technically sound, manufacturable footwear
Make key technical decisions on bottoms, components, upper patterns, knit constructions and materials, balancing fit, performance, durability, cost and manufacturing needs
Drive the footwear development calendar, managing milestones across all sample rounds (prototype, development, fit, confirmation, TOP) and resolving risks before they impact launch
Lead cost strategy for the portfolio, including CBD and yield reviews and factory negotiations, and influence senior leaders on tradeoffs to meet margin targets
Shape and uphold brand fit standards and last library practices to strengthen fit consistency and comfort across categories and seasons
Help drive department strategy and lead the build and rollout of stage gate criteria, PLM practices and development playbooks that scale with the business
Set long-term team objectives and strategy, manage team resources and budget, and delegate to meet goals
Build and lead a high-performing team, knowing each person’s strengths and aspirations and creating opportunities for their growth
Strengthen factory and supplier partnerships, keeping communication open and transparent between corporate and factory teams
Solve significant, ambiguous development challenges and find ways to improve product integrity, efficiency, cost and speed to market across departments