Director, Footwear Product Development

SupportFinity™; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 187,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

401k matching

Comprehensive health plans for you and

Supplemental mental health benefits

Monthly wellness reimbursement

Dog friendly offices

Employee Discount Program

Job summary

Rothy's in San Francisco is seeking a Director of Footwear Product Development to lead end-to-end development of footwear, setting strategy, process, and team direction with design, merchandising, sustainability, and factory partners.

As a hands-on leader, you will approve final product readiness, own the global calendar, and redesign development to improve speed, margin, and consistency while delivering on brand vision.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in footwear product development with leadership roles.
• Degree in biomechanics, engineering, kinesiology, textile science, or related field.
• Deep knowledge of footwear construction, materials, tooling, testing, and costing.
• Experience reviewing cost breakdowns and material yields to improve margins.
• Proven ability to improve cost, lead times, and quality with global manufacturers.
• Experience implementing digital development tools and managing BOMs through commercialization.
• Advanced knowledge of footwear fit and last development, including brand standards and last libraries.

Responsibilities

• Lead the modernization of the footwear development operating model to scalable systems and governance.
• Align product development strategy with brand goals, profitability targets, and sustainability priorities.
• Increase development speed by owning the global development calendar and milestone accountability.
• Redesign a scalable development framework with stage-gate criteria and PLM governance.
• Drive margin discipline by owning cost strategy and factory negotiations with sourcing teams.
• Strengthen material differentiation and tooling to improve performance and competitive advantage.
• Spearhead rapid prototyping and application of innovative materials and tooling.
• Review and approve outsoles, uppers, materials for performance, durability and cost.
• Elevate fit consistency with structured testing protocols and last library governance.
• Lead a high-performing Product Development team and build bench strength.
• Clarify decision rights and accountability within the Product Development organization.
• Strengthen factory and supplier partnerships from prototyping to commercialization.
• Monitor and manage budgets for disciplined resource allocation.
• Continuously evolve development strategies to support growth and expansion.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Project management

Negotiation

Cost optimization

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, biomechanics, kinesiology, textiles or related field

Tools

PLM systems

Costing tools

Job description

San Francisco, CA

At Rothy's, we know there's a better way to do business, and it starts by putting the planet and its people first. More than 225 million single-use plastic bottles and 715,000 pounds of ocean-bound marine plastic have been transformed into our signature thread, creating wardrobe staples that look just as good as they feel. Striving for zero waste, we combine 3D knitting technology and handcrafted assembly to create machine washable styles that don’t compromise on comfort. From classic shoes to carry-everywhere bags, we create essentials for wherever you go. At Rothy's, building a sustainable future is at the heart of everything we do. We pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive environment at our HQ, retail stores and wholly-owned factory, and are growing our community every day.

About The Team

Our Product Development team is always one step ahead. While many teams are responsible for responding to moments in the present, this one looks toward the future. From finessing the pattern of our silhouettes to developing new materials, our developers work hand-in-hand with our factory team, sustainability, merchandising and design partners to make sure the wheels of Rothy's keep turning on our quest for a more sustainable future.

About The Role

Rothy's is looking for a Director of Footwear Product Development to lead and scale the end to end development of footwear. You will set development strategy, technical process, and team direction while working closely with design, merchandising, sustainability, and factory partners. As both a leader and hands on expert, you will make key technical decisions, ensure product excellence, and approve final product readiness. You will translate brand and product vision into scalable, high quality, sustainable footwear that delivers on margin and timeline targets. You will own and optimize the global footwear development calendar, establish stage gate governance, and redesign our development process to improve speed, margin, and product consistency.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the modernization of the footwear development operating model to build scalable systems, processes, and governance that support brand growth and category expansion
• Align product development strategy with brand goals, profitability targets, and sustainability priorities through strong strategic leadership and cross-functional collaboration
• Increase development speed and operational discipline by owning and optimizing the global footwear development calendar, enforcing milestone accountability, and proactively managing risk to ensure on-time commercialization
• Redesign and institutionalize a scalable development framework, including stage-gate criteria, PLM governance, and sample control processes to improve efficiency, visibility, and consistency
• Drive margin discipline by owning cost strategy, including cost breakdown reviews, material yield optimization, and factory negotiations in partnership with sourcing teams to meet target gross margins
• Strengthen technical differentiation across materials, construction methods, comfort systems, lasts, and tooling to improve product performance and competitive advantage
• Spearhead rapid prototyping and the application of innovative materials, tooling, and design technologies to accelerate development cycles and elevate product innovation
• Review and approve outsoles, components, uppers, materials, and fit to ensure product performance, durability, cost efficiency, and brand quality standards
• Elevate fit consistency across the footwear portfolio through clear fit standards, structured testing protocols, and disciplined last library governance across categories and seasons
• Lead and inspire a high-performing Product Development team, strengthening technical expertise, raising performance standards, and building bench strength to support long-term growth
• Clarify decision rights, roles, and milestone accountability within the Product Development organization to improve alignment and execution across developers and technical leads
• Strengthen factory and supplier partnerships to improve development efficiency, scalability, and execution quality from prototyping through commercialization
• Monitor and manage product development budgets to ensure disciplined resource allocation and strong return on investment
• Continuously evaluate and evolve development strategies, processes, and capabilities to support business growth, innovation, and expansion into new categories

You Are

• A collaborative leader who works effectively across design, operations, and manufacturing teams
• Comfortable in fast paced, growth environments and confident making data driven technical decisions
• Accountable, results driven, and focused on raising standards
• Experienced leading teams through growth and change
• Skilled at building clear processes, systems, and tools that scale
• Committed to inclusive leadership and responsible product practices

You Have

• 12+ years of hands on footwear product development experience, including leadership roles
• A degree in biomechanics, engineering, kinesiology, textile science, or related field, or equivalent experience
• Deep knowledge of footwear construction, materials, tooling, testing, and costing
• Experience reviewing cost breakdowns, analyzing material yields, interpreting testing data, and making margin focused decisions
• Proven ability to improve cost, lead times, and quality with global manufacturing partners
• Experience implementing digital development tools and managing BOMs through commercialization
• Advanced knowledge of footwear fit and last development, including shape, proportions, grading, performance refinement, and establishment of brand fit standards and last libraries
• Experience establishing PLM systems and standardizing development processes to support business scale

Our Benefits

• Generous paid time off
• 401k matching
• Comprehensive health plans for you and your family
• Supplemental mental health benefits
• Monthly wellness reimbursement
• Dog friendly offices
• Employee Discount Program!

Pay Range

$187,000- $227,000 annually
Base pay is one part of the total rewards package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work. This role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, as well as a comprehensive benefits package.

About the company

Rothy's