Sr. Director, Product Development - UGG Apparel & Accessories

Deckers Brands; Goleta (CA); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Hybrid work arrangement

Career development programs

Wellness programs

Job summary

Deckers Brands in Goleta, CA is seeking a Sr. Director of Product Development for UGG Apparel & Accessories. You will own the product, directing strategy and execution across Product Development, Materials Development, and Technical Design teams to deliver innovative, market-ready products.

You will champion sustainability, talent development, and DEI while balancing aesthetics with performance to meet price-to-value targets. This is a hybrid role requiring in-office presence three days weekly.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 15+ years progressive experience in the footwear industry for a global company.
• 10+ years in leadership roles within the footwear industry for a global company.
• Proficient in building product specifications and understanding material properties and applications.
• Skilled in product construction and performance attributes.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute strategies for Product Development, Materials Development, and Technical Design teams, aligning with Supply Chain and brand goals.
• Lead the integration of global creation teams, ensuring seamless collaboration across the brand and supply chain.
• Build scalable and sustainable operating infrastructure to balance team capacity and demand.
• Identify, develop, mentor, and retain high-potential talent through clear career paths and succession planning.
• Champion and demonstrate DEI behaviors, fostering a safe and empowering environment.
• Balance aesthetic and technical demands to deliver commercially successful products.
• Elevate understanding of product performance and translate consumer demands into actionable attributes.
• Establish and evolve material toolboxes, guiding teams on preferred materials, vendors, and applications.
• Optimize product excellence and own fit and comfort standards for all genders and categories.
• Drive milestone awareness and discipline within agile creation calendars, ensuring timely handoffs.
• Measure progress through KPIs and implement improvement opportunities across global teams.
• Efficiently complete product development aligned to buy placement calendars and manage business risk.
• Own price-to-value relationships, cost engineering, and benchmarking to meet consumer expectations.

Skills

Leadership

Product development

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Talent development

Sustainability

DEI awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

Materials knowledge

Job description

Job Title: Sr. Director, Product Development - UGG Apparel & Accessories

Reports to: VP, Product Development- UGG & Quality Ops - Global

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

The Role

As Sr. Director Product Development, UGG Apparel and Accessories, you are the “Owner of the product,” leading the strategic direction and execution of all Apparel and Accessories Product Development, Materials Development, and Technical Design teams.

You’ll drive product and process excellence, ensuring new products meet expectations, are brought to market efficiently, and deliver on price-to-value demands.

You’ll champion innovation, talent development, and sustainability across the product creation landscape.

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.

Your Impact

• Create and execute strategies for Product Development, Materials Development, and Technical Design teams, aligning with Supply Chain and brand goals
• Lead the integration of global creation teams, ensuring seamless collaboration across the brand and supply chain
• Build scalable and sustainable operating infrastructure to balance team capacity and demand
• Identify, develop, mentor, and retain high-potential talent through clear career paths and succession planning
• Champion and demonstrate DEI behaviors, fostering a safe and empowering environment
• Balance aesthetic and technical demands to deliver commercially successful products
• Elevate understanding of product performance and translate consumer demands into actionable attributes
• Establish and evolve material toolboxes, guiding teams on preferred materials, vendors, and applications
• Optimize product excellence and own fit and comfort standards for all genders and categories
• Drive milestone awareness and discipline within agile creation calendars, ensuring timely handoffs
• Measure progress through KPIs and implement improvement opportunities across global teams
• Efficiently complete product development aligned to buy placement calendars and manage business risk
• Own price-to-value relationships, cost engineering, and benchmarking to meet consumer expectations

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 15+ years progressive experience in the footwear industry for a global company
• 10+ years in a leadership role within the footwear industry for a global company
• Proficient in building product specifications and understanding material properties and applications
• Skilled in product construction and performance attributes
• Experienced in leadership roles across multiple categories, markets, and genders
• Proficient in leveraging cultural differences as enablers
• Boundary‑less acumen, with awareness of global business, economic, social, and political trends
• Ability to establish strategic direction and commit to long‑range goals

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.

$185,600.00 - $250,500.00 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.

More than Just a Footwear Company

From our corporate offices to our global retail stores, there’s a curious, independent spirit that’s distinctively Deckers Brands. We’re about giving people the freedom to pursue their passions. And we’re committed to helping them succeed; to become their best selves. That’s why we’re about more than work, the 9 to 5 or daily grind. We’re about opportunity - opportunity to create, to grow and to have an impact. As we work to become better at everything we do, how we better the world matters, too.

Our products and brands are loved, no doubt about it. But the difference we make in people’s lives begins with our people, right here at Deckers Brands. We’re adventurous, spirited, unafraid of new challenges and willing to take chances. We are always ready to rally around a cause. Put simply, we want all of our people to thrive - to reach their full potential and have fun while doing it. Because in the end, Deckers thrives when our people thrive.