Lead Product Engineer - UGG Footwear

UGG; Santa Barbara (CA); Hybrid; USD 108,700 - 146,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Pay and Bonuses

Financial Planning and Wellbeing

Time away from work

Extras, discounts and perks

Growth and Development

Health and Wellness

Job summary

UGG is seeking a Lead Product Engineer to lead the development of footwear, focusing on tooling. This hybrid role in Goleta, CA, requires managing complex product development challenges.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in footwear engineering and tooling, with strong project management and problem-solving skills. UGG offers competitive pay, benefits, and opportunities for growth.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in footwear engineering or tooling development.
• Proven leadership in tooling across multiple projects.
• Ability to manage complex development challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead tooling development, ensuring alignment with design intent.
• Provide technical guidance to team members.
• Develop and enhance tooling SOPs and workflows.

Skills

Footwear engineering

Tooling development

Problem-solving

Project management

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

PLM systems

Excel tracking tools

Job description

At Deckers Brands, Together, Every Step is a promise kept that every employee can bring their authentic self, is valued and supported, as a whole person, at work and beyond. Together, Every Step is how we continue to deliver exceptional business results, experience an amazing place to work, and have a positive impact on the communities and world around us.

We celebrate diversity--of your background, your experiences and your unique identity. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace where all of our employees can Come as They Are. We believe that when we bring our different perspectives to work, we are truly Better Together.

Job Title

Lead Product Engineer - UGG Footwear

Reports to

Sr Manager, Product Engineering--UGG

Location

Goleta, CA (Hybrid) – Typically 3 times per week in office, Tuesday – Thursday

The Role

As a Lead Product Engineer, you’ll independently lead the development and validation of footwear across multiple product categories, with a particular focus on tooling. You’ll drive execution from concept through commercialization, ensuring alignment to design intent, manufacturability, cost targets, and quality standards. You’ll serve as a key technical partner across Design, Product Development, and Asia teams, influencing decisions, resolving tooling challenges, and advancing best practices within the product engineering organization.

Your Impact

• Lead tooling development across assigned categories, ensuring alignment to design intent and engineering standards
• Create, refine, and implement tooling procedures, documentation standards, and best practices
• Provide technical guidance to team members and support consistent execution across projects
• Apply structured analytical approaches to resolve complex tooling issues and drive corrective actions
• Anticipate and mitigate risks early through trial analysis, modeling, and development insights
• Develop and enhance tooling SOPs, checklists, and process workflows to improve consistency and efficiency
• Track and improve key tooling KPIs and support vendor benchmarking and capability development
• Partner with Design, Product Development, and Asia teams to ensure tooling feasibility, cost alignment, and scalable production solutions
• Lead tooling readiness for commercialization, ensuring performance, durability, and aesthetic standards are met
• Provide training, coaching, and technical guidance to engineers to elevate team capability

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent industry experience)
• 6+ years in footwear engineering, tooling, or mold development
• Proven experience leading tooling development across multiple projects or categories from concept through commercialization
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex development challenges and anticipate risks across the product lifecycle
• Experience collaborating with global teams and Asia-based manufacturing partners
• Track record of improving processes, tooling performance, or development efficiency
• Strong technical knowledge of tooling construction and processes (EVA, rubber, PU, injection)
• Advanced problem-solving and root cause analysis capabilities using structured, data-driven approaches
• Ability to evaluate and interpret 2D/3D drawings, tooling blueprints, and engineering specifications
• Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines independently
• Experience developing and improving processes, SOPs, and engineering best practices
• Strong cross‑functional communication and collaboration skills
• Proficiency in PLM systems, Excel tracking tools, and engineering documentation

What We’ll Give You

• Competitive Pay and Bonuses – We’ve created a variety of competitive compensation programs to foster career development, reward success and to show our employees just how much they’re valued.
• Financial Planning and wellbeing – No matter what financial goals our employees have set, we want to help them get there. Our plans provide powerful ways to protect income, pay for expenses and invest in the future.
• Time away from work – Sometimes we need time away to be with family, focus on our health or just simply recharge. Our plans support our employees’ needs to get out, get healthy and come back stronger than ever.
• Extras, discounts and perks – Being a valued member of the Deckers Brands team means more than just a paycheck. From generous discounts to community‑based programs, we offer a variety of cool extras
• Growth and Development – Deckers Brands was built on the idea of pursuing passion. That’s why we offer extensive opportunities and support for personal and professional development.
• Health and Wellness – There’s nothing basic about our comprehensive health and wellness programs and offerings. While at work and at play, we aim to support a healthy lifestyle.

$108,700.00 - $146,700.00

The salary range posted reflects the estimated minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for this role in:
Goleta, California
Individual pay will be determined by location and additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Diversity and inclusion are key to our success. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and our employees are people with different strengths, experiences and backgrounds who share a passion for our brands. We welcome qualified applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition and all the other beautiful parts of your identity.