Senior Product Developer

FashionUnited; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 82,000 - 129,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

401K

Tuition reimbursement

Mentorship programs

Lifestyle reimbursement

Paid vacation

Holidays

Job summary

New Balance in Boston, MA is seeking a Senior Product Developer to coordinate footwear product development, lead cross-functional teams, and ensure alignment with project milestones. The role emphasizes strong project management, communication with sourcing, engineering, design, and production teams, and a focus on prototype evaluation and validation.

The candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree (engineering preferred) with 5–8 years in footwear, proficiency in technical drawings and wear data,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; engineering degree a plus.
• Minimum 5–8 years development experience, including 5 years in footwear.
• Solid understanding of technical drawings, molding processes, materials and wear data.
• Proven record of solving problems creatively.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Leads and coordinates product development for projects and monitors deadlines.
• Maintains open communication with sourcing, engineering, product management, design, and development teams.
• Uses knowledge of shoe construction and manufacturing to evaluate prototypes.
• Identifies issues with material test data, wear data, and drawings.
• Drives Product Validation for new models to ensure performance and fit.
• Performs teardowns and cost analyses to balance cost, manufacturability, and design.

Skills

Product development

Project management

Communication

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Engineering degree a plus

Job description

Job Mission

The Senior Product Developer fully coordinates tasks with team members for a category or collection of products demonstrating strong project management skills by maintaining transparency and issue escalation to maintain organizational alignment.

Major Accountabilities

• Leads and coordinates product development for projects and monitors associated deadlines.
• Maintains open lines of communication with the sourcing, engineering, product management, design, and development teams.
• Utilizes knowledge of shoe construction and manufacturing processes to evaluate prototypes.
• Identifies potential issues relating to material test data, technical wear test data, and technical drawings.
• Drives Product Validation process on all new models to ensure they meet performance, fit, and specification requirements for consistent product quality.
• Engages in product teardowns and cost analysis; makes recommendations to balance cost, manufacturability, and design.
• Performs color ups, material ups, new uppers, and exposure to new tools; maintains timelines and proactively identifies problems.

Requirements for Success

• Bachelor’s degree; engineering degree a plus.
• Minimum of 5‑8 years development experience, including 5 years in footwear and problem‑solving tools.
• Solid understanding of technical drawings, molding processes, materials, wear test data, footwear technology, patterns, and production processes; experience developing and implementing new lasts and grading.
• Proven record of solving problems creatively.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.

Boston, MA Headquarters – Pay Range: $82,000.00 – $105,800.00 – $129,600.00 Annual (actual base pay varies based on relevant experience, time in role, internal equity, geographic location, and more).

Benefits

Comprehensive traditional benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401K. Additional perks such as online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, $100 monthly student loan support, mentorship programs, yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement, 4 weeks vacation, 12 holidays, and generous parental leave. Temporary associates receive medical, dental, vision, and associate discount; part‑time associates receive 401K, short‑term disability, yearly $300 lifestyle reimbursement, and associate discount.

Flexible Work Schedule

North American hybrid model: office three days per week (Tuesday–Thursday) with “Work from Anywhere” for four weeks per calendar year.

Equal Opportunity Employer

New Balance provides equal opportunities for all current and prospective associates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap, genetic information and/or status as an Armed Forces service medal veteran, recently separated veteran, qualified disabled veteran or other protected veteran, or any other protected status.