Product Development Manager, Football Footwear

JOB MISSION:

The Product Developer Manager will lead the future of football footwear at New Balance. You will be responsible for product fit, performance, functionality and cost, as well as direct leadership of the product development team for Product Segment. Working closely with Marketing, Design, Engineering and other cross-functional teams, you will successfully plan, develop, and complete a profitable product. You will deliver product programs to the market on time, with the quality and quantity required. Working collaboratively with a wide variety of stakeholders globally, you will drive the success and performance within the football footwear category, ensuring all product specifications are available for manufacturing and production.

The ideal candidate will possess in-depth knowledge of football footwear and a proven ability to juggle multiple projects. They will excel in paying close attention to details and effectively influencing and guiding the product development team. This role will require quarterly travel across the UK as well as internationally. We offer hybrid working and flexibility in working hours to accommodate a healthy work-life balance.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Lead the Product Development Team - develop, test, validate and commercialize industry-leading Global Football footwear
2. Drive revenue targets, increase market share and win with the consumer
3. Lead and monitor all category projects - from Initiation, through Design, Prototyping, Sales Samples, Extremes and Buy Ready
4. Partner closely with Asia Regional Development Managers/Teams and Operations Managers to ensure clarity and timeliness of information, as well as successful execution of prototypes
5. Accountable for all seasonal and off-calendar development milestones
6. Partner with the wider Product Management and Design teams to manage seasonal KPIs and processes
7. Line manage a team of Developers, Designers, Project Managers and Engineers - providing technical insight as well as business pipeline plans
8. Develop and guide direct reports to achieve their professional goals while balancing with the needs of the organization.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

1. Educated to degree or equivalent combination of Related Industry Experience
2. Extensive experience with the full product life cycle of footwear
3. Thorough knowledge of the footwear industry
4. High level project management skills
5. Strong leadership skills with previous experience of line management is required
6. Strategic problem solver capable of leading projects from concept to validation and is very comfortable in a fast-paced and changing environment
7. Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
8. Strong innovative and problem-solving skills
9. Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite and use of engineering tools and 3D software would be advantageous