Director, Product Development - Materials

Laceless Design; Westwood (CA); Hybrid; USD 176,000 - 186,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401k with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Crocs, Inc. is seeking a Director, Product Development - Materials in Westwood to lead an end-to-end materials strategy. You will partner with design, sourcing, commercialization, and regional teams to drive consumer-first material development and faster speed-to-market.

You will build a materials-first operating model, manage vendor partnerships, and govern digital material libraries and PLM systems across global teams. Domestic/international travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or related experience in product creation fields.
• 10–15 years in consumer product development with 5+ years leadership in materials.
• Deep knowledge of footwear materials and commercialization processes.
• Strong understanding of PLM, data governance and digital libraries.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end materials strategy across multiple teams and regions.
• Develop a materials-first operating model aligned with consumer needs and trends.
• Collaborate with global teams to translate insights into material direction and briefs.
• Build a global materials network evaluating vendors for quality and cost.
• Govern digital material libraries, PLM, and data governance to speed decisions.
• Establish processes, milestones, and communication for faster execution.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Influence and partnerships

People development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering, Industrial Design, Business, or related field

Tools

PLM systems

Digital asset management

Material libraries

Job description

At Crocs, Inc., every career offers a chance to make a real impact. No two journeys look the same. And that's exactly how we like it. Whether you’re welcoming customers into our stores, collaborating with global teams at our headquarters, or keeping operations moving at our distribution centers, your impact is real and valued. At Crocs, Inc. you’re not expected to fit a mold. You’re encouraged to break it and create something better.

Overview

The Director, Product Development – Materials for HEYDUDE is responsible for creating and leading an end-to-end materials strategy that connects material development across Product Development, Design, Sourcing, Commercialization, and regional teams. Reporting to the VP, Product Development, this role builds the materials capabilities, processes, vendor partnerships, and digital infrastructure needed to bring consumer-right materials to market with greater speed, clarity, and consistency. The Director will establish a materials-first approach that puts the consumer at the forefront of material trends, product storytelling, functionality, quality, cost, and speed-to-market execution.

What You’ll Do

• Create and lead an end-to-end materials strategy that aligns material development across Product Development, Design, Sourcing, and global/regional product execution teams.
• Build a materials-first operating model that brings consumer needs, material trends, product storytelling, function, quality, cost, and speed-to-market considerations into the earliest stages of product creation.
• Partner closely with Materials Design, Product Development, Sourcing, and Asia-based teams to translate consumer and trend insights into actionable material direction, seasonal priorities, vendor briefs, and commercialization-ready solutions.
• Build and maintain a strategic global materials network by evaluating vendor capabilities, lead times, quality, cost, scalability, sustainability considerations, and alignment to product and consumer needs.
• Drive the development, implementation, and governance of digital material libraries, PLM systems, and material data management processes to improve visibility, accuracy, decision-making, and cross-functional speed.
• Establish clear material development processes, seasonal milestones, decision points, and communication routines that support faster alignment, fewer late-stage changes, and stronger execution from concept through commercialization.
• Serve as an integral leader within the Footwear Product Development leadership team, engaging and collaborating across footwear development, engineering, sourcing, and design to solve product creation challenges and support aligned decision-making.
• Build, coach, and develop high-performing materials teams by fostering collaboration, accountability, capability growth, and continuous improvement across the global product creation organization.

What You’ll Bring to the Table

• Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering, Industrial Design, Business, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum 10-15 years of experience in consumer product development, materials engineering, or related product creation functions, including at least 5 years of materials development leadership experience.
• Deep expertise in footwear materials, including textiles, synthetics, leather, trims, performance components, testing, costing, and commercialization processes, with a strong understanding of material trends, innovation/R&D pipelines, upcoming newness, and performance and functional features that support consumer-right product creation.
• Advanced understanding of PLM systems, digital asset management, material libraries, and data governance practices.
• Demonstrated success creating materials strategies, operating models, and cross-functional processes that improve alignment, decision-making, and speed to market within global product creation organizations.
• Proven ability to influence, build partnerships, and collaborate effectively across footwear development, engineering, design, sourcing, global cross-functional teams, and external vendors.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development skills with experience building high-performing teams.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, communicate effectively with all levels of the organization, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment. Domestic and international travel required.

#heydude

#LI-CM1

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.We accept applications on an ongoing basis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability, or any other classification protected by law.

Title:Director, Product Development - Materials

Salary or Pay Range: $176,000 - $186,000

Pay offered will vary based on job-related factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities.

At Crocs, Inc. we believe in the power of a blend of in-person and virtual collaboration to drive creativity and strengthen relationships. Your participation in this flexible schedule plays a key role in building a connected and successful team. In-office requirements vary by our work personas: Resident (5 days), Collaborator (4 days), Connector (2-3 days), Explorer (fully remote). This role has been aligned to the Collaborator persona.

This organization participates in E-Verify.

This position is eligible to participate in a company incentive program.

This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.

The application window is 45 days, but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible after the posting date in order to ensure optimal consideration.The posting will be removed if the job is filled before the application window deadline.

Job Category:Corporate