ONLY CANDIDATES WITH A MINIMUM 3 TO 5 YEARS FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE WILL BE CONSIDERED.
POSITION SUMMARY:
As a member of the R&D department, the Product Developer is responsible for all stages of the development process for their specific category. The Product Developer would be relied upon to raise issues and to seek resolutions with their supervisor, the Sr. Product Development Manager. Additional responsibilities include managing the product development of specific categories and the delivery of best functioning, fitting and performing shoes. Attention to the aesthetic intent of design and corporate margin objectives is also required in this role. The Product Developer interacts with a variety of key positions and functions within internal departments including: product marketing, design, production, operations, materials group, quality, fit & wear test, drafting and Saucony Asian Liaison office. Other relationships include working with and through external vendors, athletes and factory personnel.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Manage the product development cycle to effectively deliver quality product at the established retail introduction periods and profit margins.
- Proactively manage the product development process according to the Product Introduction Calendar.
- Acts as the knowledge sharing hub and a key individual in product development process.
- On time delivery of all agreed upon key samples (Models, Pullovers, Development, Confirmation, Stage I)
- Achieve a minimum target margins while, at the same time, providing value for the consumer.
Key Tasks/Activities:
- Operates with a complete understanding of the product development process (which includes Design, Pre-costing, Far East Development)
- Consistently manages systems, timelines, and projects in an organized, well-prioritized manner
- Involves and communicates with other departments at appropriate times and works pro-actively to stay ahead of timelines
- Effectively manages development projects: able to identify, access and utilize resources outside of direct control to facilitate development objectives
- Participate in training (factory visits, material shows, shoemaking classes, computer training, vendor visits to broaden their awareness of shoemaking techniques
- Resolves all pre-costing issues in a complete and timely manner
QUALIFICATIONS:
College graduate with a BS degree, a passion for athletic competition or fitness related activities, an eye for detail and a sense of style desired. Minimum 3 to 5 years footwear industry experience a must.
ABOUT SAUCONY:
Saucony, Inc. is a leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear, casual footwear, apparel, and accessories with its widely recognized brands Saucony, Saucony Originals, Hind, and Spot-bilt. All Saucony, Inc. sports brands develop and manufacture technically advanced products that improve the performance of active sports participants.
We design, develop and market performance-oriented athletic footwear, athletic apparel and casual leather footwear. Our principal products are:
- Technical running, walking and outdoor trail shoes and athletic apparel, which we sell under the Saucony brand name;
- Technical running shoe models from the early 1980's, which we reintroduced in 1998, as Saucony “Originals”, our classic footwear line;
- Athletic apparel, which we sell under the Hind brand name; and
- Shoes for coaches and officials, football and soccer cleats and casual leather walking and workplace footwear, which we sell under the Spot-bilt brand name.
Our products are sold in the United States at more than 5,500 retail locations and at our 19 factory outlet stores. Outside the United States our products are sold in 53 countries through 22 distributors located throughout the world and through our subsidiaries located in Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
RESPONSE GUIDELINES:
All entries will be kept confidential. Include salary requirements in your cover letter, along with resume and address to:
Director, Human Resources
Saucony, Inc.
13 Centennial Drive
Peabody, MA 01960
978 326 5355 fax
No telephone calls, please.
Notice to Third-parties or Agency/Recruiters:
Principals only. Submissions and referrals (written, oral or otherwise) received from third-parties or agencies (contingent or retained) not currently under contract with Saucony, Inc. will be considered a gift, and as such, Saucony, Inc., will not be obligated to pay a fee or service charge of any amount related to gifted submissions. Saucony, Inc. actively maintains a Preferred Vendor List. Access and acceptance to the Preferred Vendor List is granted exclusively by Human Resources. Inquiries related to recruitment and candidate submissions must be directed to the Human Resources Department.