Footwear Materials Design Lead: Innovation & Impact

Aquent; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking a Senior Manager, Footwear Material Design to lead material strategy for high-performance footwear. You will guide cross-functional teams, shape material concepts, and translate consumer insights into compelling narratives that elevate our consumer products.

With extensive experience in footwear design and a passion for culture and color trends, you will drive innovation from concept to manufacturing, collaborating with partners across color, development, and merchandising to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in design, art, or related field, or equivalent education/experience.
• 8+ years in material/textile/footwear design; 10+ years preferred in footwear design.
• Collaborative, solution-oriented mindset.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Deep product creation knowledge, including construction and build processes.
• Proven people management skills or desire to lead and develop teams.
• Ability to interpret consumer insights into compelling product narratives.
• Experience presenting with Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, and Miro.
• Strong presentation skills for small and large groups.
• Collaborative, receptive to feedback, and open to diverse views.
• Passion for design, culture, and excellence.
• Highly organized and self-sufficient.
• Portfolio is required.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with leadership and cross-functional teams on innovative materials and manufacturing approaches.
• Shape design direction and material concepts for footwear.
• Translate consumer insights into compelling product narratives.
• Integrate design, development, and manufacturing processes for product excellence.
• Leverage research and youth culture to drive material innovation.
• Collaborate with color teams, developers, merchandisers, and project managers on cleated footwear products.

Skills

Collaboration

Leadership

Presentation skills

Storytelling

Mood boards

Material design

Product creation

Consumer insights

Construction/build processes

Education

Bachelor’s degree in design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Keynote/PowerPoint/Acrobat/Miro

3D rendering tools

Gravity Sketch/CLO

Job description

Aquent is seeking a Senior Manager, Footwear Material Design to lead material strategy for high-performance footwear. You will guide cross-functional teams, shape material concepts, and translate consumer insights into compelling narratives that elevate our consumer products.

With extensive experience in footwear design and a passion for culture and color trends, you will drive innovation from concept to manufacturing, collaborating with partners across color, development, and merchandising to