POSITION TITLE: Footwear Developer

With nearly half a million customers in more than 97 countries, Xero Shoes is a lifestyle footwear brand focused on helping people everywhere discover the benefits of natural movement.  Are you passionate about health & wellness and want to make an extraordinary difference in people’s lives? We are looking for a motivated, passionate Footwear Developer to join our team where the possibilities are endless…

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The Footwear Product Developer's responsibilities: 

Project Management:  

• Collect and share data relevant to seasonal calendar dates, gates, and milestones to ensure we’re on track for each project.  
• Monitor all factory communications and maintain relevant tracking documents.  - Manage all technical product information, including shell patterns, blueprints, lasts,  costing sheets, etc. 
• Own and maintain the cost tracker document, aligning with operations and management  on margin status and updated FOB prices 
• Responsible for reviewing all samples, assessing against design intent, maintaining documentation of progress, and reporting in milestone meetings on sample progress.  
• Responsible for compiling and documenting change requests,  

Engineering & Technical Development:  

• Contribute ideas for product design, construction, materials, compounds, and components that enhance functionality, aesthetics, fit, and profit margin. 
• Review and assess shoe samples against the approved design. 
•  Measure and document product attributes, perform fittings and discover construction issues with no oversight.  
• Analyze, investigate, and diagnose any issues that may arise in the construction and manufacturing of all Xero products. 
• Recommend solutions from moderate to advanced level complexity that arise throughout the development process. 

Tech Pack Creation:  

• Research and provide suggestions for material selection, shoe construction, and manufacturing process choice.  
• Communicate details with a pattern-making/product engineering mindset, helping to provide clear, easy to follow instructions for overseas partners. 
• Generate and maintain the Bill of Materials (BOM) for all projects. 

Wear Testing :

•  Manage the fit and wear testing process with a focus on processing and analysis of data for actions and summary reports 
• Communicate with testers, arrange for sample shipment, and administer relevant surveys.  
• Account for measured foot shape, 3D foot scan data, and footwear material properties that affect fitting in the interpretation of fitting results.  
•  Assist in resolving QC/QA issues as needed. 

Sample Management:  

• Lead the sample management process.  
• Sort, organize, relocate, or arrange product samples, whether early development samples,  ILR, FLR, Sales Samples or CFM samples. 
•  Receive product shipments while maintaining routing number tracker documents. 
•  Mail samples to outside agencies, distributors, wear testers, brand collaborators or outside parties. 

Other Responsibilities Include:  

• Work with the rest of the product team to understand the product attributes and  consumer benefits
• Maintain a solid awareness of the competitive market landscape of competitor products and watch for innovative construction methods, materials, and trends. 
•  Participate in international and domestic travel as required to achieve a high level of product and component development, including visits to manufacturing countries/factories to assist and review the commercialization and production on key product(s). 
• Demonstrate consistent reliability as an employee, setting the example for efficiency,  accuracy, attention to detail, acute recall of information, personal organization, and professional demeanor and interaction.  
•   Exemplify high standards in work ethic, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Success Factors:

• Committed to and enthusiastic about the mission and vision of Xero Shoes
• A strategic yet innovative thinker who is adept at multitasking in a fast-paced environment, able to plan, prioritize, and organize individual and group activities and processes
• Outgoing, straightforward, and creative
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Able to work independently and take initiative
• An adaptable, flexible problem-solver
• Passionate, comfortable, and outgoing with client interaction
• Team-focused, enjoys collaborating as part of an active group of highly engaged, creative individuals
• Exhibit a high degree of maturity, honesty, trust, sophistication, and integrity and cultivates these qualities in others

Qualifications: 

•  Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with others.  
•  Excellent organizational skills, including effective time management, strong self-management, and ability to meet or improve upon deadlines. Show an ability to “read the room”  and show self-awareness in personal behavior and teammate interactions. 
•  Demonstrate acute detail recall and maintain meticulous written records of decisions made, action items, and relevant facts that affect daily tasks. 
•  Ability to work under stress from demanding deadlines, customer contact, and changing priorities and conditions. 
•  Familiarity with trends in the outdoor sportswear, footwear, and fitness industries. 
•  Knowldge of minimalist shoes and constructions. 
•  A minimum of two years of experience in Footwear Development is required.
•  Applicable technical degree preferred - manufacturing, mechanical, or chemical engineering, product design, biomechanics, etc.

Job Type : Full-time, based in Broomfield, CO, reporting to our VP of Product Development

Pay: The annualized salary for this position ranges between $75,000 - $95,000, DOE

This range is an estimate based on potential employee qualifications, operational needs, and other considerations as permitted by Colorado Equal Pay Transparency Rule 4.1.2.  Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and equity awards.

Benefits Include:

• Medical and dental upon employment
• Additional employee-funded ancillary benefits, such as qualified HSA, or FSA, and Voluntary Life / AD&D, Accidental, Critical Care, etc. are also available if you choose to participate
• 401k eligible after 3 months of employment
• Xero Shoes provided life insurance
• Employee bonus and incentive plans
• Sick and vacation accrual

Xero Shoes is handling our own recruitment. We will not respond to solicitations from recruiters.