Senior Product Development Manager

Viking Footwear; Oslo fylke; On-site; NOK 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Viking Outdoor Footwear AS is seeking a Senior Product Development Manager to lead the development of our footwear range from brief to production release. You will manage the Product Manager team, report to the CPO, and collaborate with Design, the Technical Coordinator, Buying and our Asia development partners.

Responsibilities include driving regulatory compliance, cost engineering, and innovation in materials and construction, while ensuring safety, fit, and quality targets are met.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in footwear product development and leadership
• In-depth knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, fit, comfort and materials
• Solid knowledge of GPSR, REACH and consumer product safety requirements
• Experience with cost engineering, CBDs and supplier negotiations
• Experience with PLM systems and master data (Kubix is a plus)
• Strong written, verbal, presentation and organizational skills in Norwegian and English
• Bachelor's degree in footwear tech, product development, engineering or related field preferred
• Good numerical and analytical skills and MS Office proficiency
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a growth environment
• Willing to travel regularly to suppliers and factories in Asia

Responsibilities

• Leading the product creation process and season calendar from brief to production release on time
• Leading, coaching and developing Product Managers and setting priorities across categories
• Owning regulatory compliance and product safety, including GPSR and REACH
• Setting comfort, fit and quality standards and owning all fit & wear testing
• Final sign-off on construction, comfort and quality before production
• Owning target cost (FOB) and driving cost engineering with Asia and Buying
• Driving material and construction innovation and leading sustainability work on materials and certificates
• Translating the CPO’s brief and range plan into development briefs with Product Managers
• Ensuring product data and documentation in Kubix are complete and correct
• Following up claims and quality trends and feeding learnings into next development

Skills

Leadership

Footwear product development

Regulatory compliance

Cost engineering

PLM systems

Bilingual English & Norwegian

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Kubix PLM

CBDs (Cost breakdowns)

Microsoft Excel

Job description

At Viking Outdoor Footwear, we are driven by innovation, quality, and a deep connection to our customers. With over a century of experience crafting durable and functional footwear, we aim to inspire people of all ages, to explore the outdoors every day!

Our product department is central to this mission, making sure kids and adults experience comfort, safety, and quality in every step. By combining expert craftsmanship with innovative materials and design, we create products that keep people warm, dry, and comfortable in every outdoor adventure - no matter the conditions.

We are now looking for a Senior Product Development Manager to lead our product creation process and our team of Product Managers. If you are passionate about turning great ideas into safe, comfortable and high-quality footwear - on time and on cost we want to hear from you.

About therole

As Senior Product Development Manager, you will lead the development of Viking’s footwear range, from development brief to production release. You will report to the CPO, lead the Product Manager team, and work closely with Design, our Technical Coordinator, Buying and our development team in Asia.

You will have clear responsibility for product safety and regulatory compliance, including GPSR, for the comfort, fit and quality of our products, and for driving cost engineering and material innovation. We are looking for a structured and hands‑on leader with deep footwear knowledge and a high interest in outdoor activities.

Your key responsibilities include:

• Leading the product creation process and season calendar, making sure every style moves from development brief to production release on time.
• Leading, coaching and developing the Product Managers, and setting priorities across categories.
• Owning regulatory compliance and product safety, including GPSR, REACH, product safety assessments and customs classification.
• Setting the comfort, fit and quality standards for our footwear, and owning all fit & wear testing.
• Giving the final sign-off on construction, comfort and quality before production.
• Owning target cost (FOB) and driving cost engineering together with our development team in Asia and Buying.
• Driving material and construction innovation, and leading our sustainability work on materials and certificates.
• Translating the CPO’s commercial brief and range plan into development briefs together with the Product Managers.
• Making sure product data and documentation in our PLM system (Kubix) are complete and correct.
• Following up claims and quality trends, and making sure learnings are built into the next development.

Competence and Qualifications

• Proven leader who makes things happen - structured, hands-on and solution-oriented
• 7+ years of experience in footwear product development, including leading people
• In-depth knowledge of footwear construction, lasts, fit, comfort and materials
• Solid knowledge of GPSR, REACH and product safety requirements for consumer products
• Experience with cost engineering, cost breakdowns (CBDs) and supplier negotiations
• Experience with PLM systems and master data (Kubix is a plus)
• Strong written, verbal, presentation and organizational skills, in both Norwegian and English
• Bachelor's degree in footwear technology, product development, engineering or related field preferred
• Good numerical and analytical skills, and Microsoft Office proficiency
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a growth environment
• Willing to travel regularly to suppliers and factories in Asia

About You

To succeed in this role, you should bring:

Experience:

At least 7 years in footwear product development, including leading a team. Experience with kids' products is a plus.

Quality Mindset:

A strong understanding of what makes footwear comfortable, safe and durable - where fit and safety matter most.

Leadership:

A coaching leader who builds a strong, collaborative team and sets clear priorities.

Regulatory Insight:

Hands-on experience with product development and compliance, and the drive to stay ahead of new requirements and innovations.

Cost Awareness:

The ability to balance comfort, quality and innovation with target cost and margins.

Project Management Skills:

Experience leading projects from brief to production release, making sure deadlines and budgets are met.

We are offering an exciting leadership role in a company with strong growth, where you will shape how we develop our products and work with some of the best in the business. We have a motivated and ambitious team who loves what they do.

You will be based at our headquarters, together with the rest of the product team. Working in the same office makes it easy to review samples together, solve problems quickly and stay close to the rest of the organisation.

With Oslo’s forests and fjord close by, it’s easy to test our products where they are meant to be used. The role also includes regular travel to our suppliers and factories in Asia.

About Viking

The founder of Viking, Peter Mathias Røwde laid down the cornerstone for his rubber factory on the 17th January 1920, in the Norwegian Askim. He realised the vast, outstanding potential of wellington boots, particularly in the damp, Norwegian climate - and so the "Classic Rubber Boot" arose, tailor made to these conditions.

Today Viking stands for premium quality, waterproof shoes which defy the rules of nature despite challenging conditions, often on difficult terrain. Made in Norway’s unrelenting climate.