Engineer, Commercialization, Footwear

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an Engineer, Commercialization, Footwear based in India.** This role sits at the intersection of footwear engineering, product development, and commercialization within a global, fast-paced environment. You will help translate early product concepts into commercially viable footwear by applying deep technical and manufacturing expertise. Working closely with brand, vendor, engineering, development, and production teams, you will ensure products meet requirements for fit, materials, construction, performance, and timelines. You will track critical development milestones, coordinate testing and tooling activities, and help teams stay aligned with commercialization and production readiness. The position offers the opportunity to influence product quality, manufacturing efficiency, speed to market, and overall development success. You will work across multicultural, cross-functional teams where clear communication, technical judgment, and proactive problem-solving are highly valued. This is an ideal opportunity for a footwear engineering professional ready to make a direct impact on global product development and commercialization. ### Accountabilities - Partner with Asia product teams during early product development reviews, representing commercialization and applying production expertise to assess the viability of development samples against commercialization requirements. - Collaborate with brand, vendor development, engineering, and production teams to ensure accuracy in patterns, fit, materials, construction techniques, laboratory testing, and product performance. - Lead and track extreme fit trials, ensuring approved fit and wear-test teams remain aligned with product development timelines and reporting progress to cross-functional stakeholders. - Monitor upstream and downstream teams against critical timelines, proactively addressing delays and supporting readiness for key development and production milestones. - Partner with mold and tooling teams to ensure extreme and full-size tooling schedules align with commercialization and production planning requirements. - Work with costing teams to validate sample and production patterns against yield utilization and support commercially viable product development. - Provide clear, actionable technical feedback to help teams troubleshoot issues quickly and reach alignment on product and manufacturing decisions. - Apply knowledge of LEAN manufacturing, automation, footwear construction, materials, laboratory standards, and testing to improve development efficiency and product readiness. - Operate effectively within cross-functional and multicultural teams while maintaining strong ownership of assigned commercialization activities. ## Requirements - 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in footwear manufacturing, technical, engineering, or production environments, preferably within reputable fashion, retail, consumer, or multinational organizations. - Bachelor’s degree in Textiles, Engineering, Apparel, Footwear, or a closely related discipline. - Strong subject-matter expertise in footwear, including technical construction, materials, fit and wear, laboratory testing, material performance, LEAN production, automation, and speed-to-market development. - Strong understanding of paper pattern creation; familiarity with digital product creation is a significant advantage. - Ability to assess complex engineering and production situations and translate technical information into clear, concise written and verbal communication. - Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to communicate technical feedback in an impactful and easy-to-understand manner. - Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively within cross-functional, multicultural teams. - Strong organizational skills and a proactive approach to tracking timelines, identifying risks, and driving issues toward resolution. - Excellent English communication skills, both written and spoken; Mandarin and/or another relevant regional language is an advantage. - A collaborative mindset, strong accountability, and the ability to build credibility with technical, product, vendor, and production stakeholders. ## Benefits - Opportunity to work on global footwear product development and commercialization initiatives. - Exposure to diverse, cross-functional and multicultural teams across product, engineering, manufacturing, and development functions. - Opportunity to apply and further develop expertise in footwear engineering, materials, fit, testing, automation, LEAN manufacturing, and commercialization. - Significant opportunity to influence product quality, development efficiency, production readiness, and speed to market. - Career development opportunities within a global lifestyle and consumer products environment. - Inclusive workplace culture focused on diversity, equal opportunity, accessibility, and valuing different perspectives. - Opportunities to contribute to innovative products and work on complex technical challenges with international teams. - Remote work arrangement associated with the advertised position, subject to applicable team and business requirements.