Senior Materials Developer – Sport/Performance Footwear

Cole Haan•Greenland, NH

About The Position

The Sr. Materials Developer-Sport/Performance is responsible for exploring, developing, and implementing new materials and material concepts in support of sport and performance footwear products. This role drives material innovation, with a deep focus on knitting technologies, technical textiles, engineered uppers, and performance materials. Working in close partnership with Product Development, Design, Innovation, and Sourcing, the Senior Materials Developer translates emerging material technologies into commercially viable, performance‑driven footwear concepts that support compelling innovation stories and differentiated products. This role will also partner with global supply chain teams to make sure materials meet design performance, and physical/chemical requirements. Focus will extend to both inline seasonal product offerings as well as material innovations upstream of the seasonal product creation process. This position requires a highly technical materials expert who can help shape material strategy from early exploration through scalable execution, while supporting product teams and influencing product direction across the sport portfolio.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in related field preferred
7+ years of experience in footwear materials development, performance footwear product development, material sourcing, or material innovation
Demonstrated expertise in: Knitting technologies and engineered knit uppers
Technical textiles and woven materials
Performance synthetics, films, laminates, and components
Strong background in sport or performance footwear categories (e.g., running, training, outdoor, basketball, golf)
Strong understanding of footwear development and manufacturing processes strongly preferred
Experience in working and communicating with Asia based offices, mills and component suppliers
Demonstrated communication skills
Highly organized
High level of curiosity with a passion for material exploration and experimentation
Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
Collaborative and team player
Microsoft Word & Microsoft Excel experience required

Nice To Haves

Adobe Illustrator and PLM experience a plus

Responsibilities

ADVANCED MATERIAL EXPLORATION & INNOVATION
Lead the exploration, evaluation, and development of next‑generation sport and performance materials, with a strong emphasis on: Engineered knits and knitting technologies Technical textiles and woven constructions Synthetic uppers, performance laminates, films, and coatings
Stay at the forefront of industry, supplier, and material‑science innovation, identifying technologies that can elevate performance, durability, fit, comfort, and lightweight construction
Drive hands‑on experimentation, sampling, and testing to validate new materials early in the product creation process
Establish long‑term sport material innovation roadmaps aligned with brand, category, and performance strategies
Partner with the design, product development and merchandising teams to establish seasonal materials direction
Identify and evaluate new textiles, engineered meshes, synthetics, knits, coatings, films, and emerging material innovations to deliver extraordinary products with the appropriate aesthetics, functionality, quality and price
MATERIAL CONCEPT & INNOVATION STORY DEVELOPMENT
Translate advanced material capabilities into clear, compelling material concepts that support industry‑leading sport footwear and innovation stories
Partner with Design and Product Development to ensure materials enable both functional performance benefits and distinct visual identity
Develop and articulate material use cases, benefits, and trade‑offs to support internal alignment and external storytelling
Contribute to seasonal material direction through material toolkits, libraries, and concept presentations
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATION
Serve as the material’s technical authority within the Product Development process for sport footwear
Lead material selection, validation, and approval from concept through commercialization
Ensure materials meet performance requirements, design intent, cost targets, quality standards, and manufacturing feasibility
Troubleshoot complex material challenges during prototyping, wear testing, and pre‑production
Maintain accurate material specifications, testing data, and approvals within PLM systems
Proactively manage risk by identifying scalability, durability, or supply constraints early
Provide support to Costing and PLM teams
CROSS‑FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP & SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIP
Act as a senior materials partner to Product Development, Design, Innovation, Sourcing, Quality, and Manufacturing
Lead collaboration with global material suppliers, mills, and knit specialists to develop new or exclusive materials
Evaluate supplier capabilities related to knitting, textile engineering, material consistency, lead times, and scalability
Attend local material fairs to source new seasonal materials