Who We Are:
At Brooks, we believe a run can change a day, a life, the world. Everyone who works here is a key part of our obsession to make the best running gear on the planet. We want our business — which also happens to be our passion — to be a place where everyone feels welcome and comfortable being themselves. Our company culture defines us, bonds us together, and drives our success. We live this culture daily through our brand values: Runner First, Word is Bond, Champion Heart, There is no “I” in Run, and Keep Moving. This means we always solve for the runner, do what we say we will, give it our all, are generous with our humanity, and find a way to keep moving every day, because joy is kinetic.
Are you ready to help create something extraordinary?
Your Job:
The Brooks Innovation group is a team of world-class innovative minds collectively focused on improving the performance running experience through product, experiential and performance innovation. They constantly challenge assumptions of how products are made and together they shape the future of running footwear. They stretch the limits of science and human performance with every innovation and are relentlessly focused on changes that benefit the Brooks runner. They pioneer relationships with manufacturing partners and suppliers, uncovering new partnerships with global industry leaders to create innovation and bring new Brooks innovations to life. The Innovation team operates across the full range of product creation, merchandising, brand strategy, sourcing and new business development to relentlessly pursue methods to make better-performing, higher-quality and sustainable products faster and more efficiently than ever before.
As a Senior Chemical Engineer in Innovation, you will be a key technical leader in the Footwear Innovation Team to drive execution of complex chemical compounding projects through all phases of the Innovation Phase Gate process. In your role, you may act as a project lead with a globally distributed team or as the key advisor for other innovation leaders on more complex projects. Your primary focus will be on factory and vendor partnerships and seamless technology transfers from the innovation team to Inline Development and Commercialization. You will work with cross-functional and global innovation teams to research, acquire, and develop new technologies and explore new materials, processes, validation techniques, and construction methods to create cutting edge footwear solutions that runners will love, with the lowest environmental impact possible. You will be a key part of the Footwear Innovation process, including identifying opportunities for improvement and driving change. You will be responsible for communicating ideas, concepts, and project status to managers and the Innovation Lead Triad (Product Design, Product Development and Product Line Management). In this role you’ll partner closely with more junior members of the Footwear Innovation team in Asia to mentor and hone their technical footwear expertise.
Responsibilities:
- Execute innovation chemical/compound developments by delivering on strategic goals in bottom unit (outsole/midsole) performance for multiple, concurrent projects.
- Lead and run assigned research and development programs from concept through exploration, development, testing, validation and confirmation of new materials technologies.
- Ensure product performance integrity by working directly with Product Validation teams in the U.S. to determine testing needs/criteria, explore new test methods, understand results and make decisions based on learnings.
- Identify and partner with materials vendors, factories, and the Sourcing team to discover and advance new manufacturing techniques which enhance the performance, sustainability, cost and quality of product.
- Partner with Sustainability teams to discover new materials and manufacturing processes that meet and exceed brand goals
- Partner with U.S. innovation leaders to initiate Intellectual Property reviews and drive positive working and contractual relationships with new partners
- Manage, mentor and support more junior members of the Asia Innovation team in creating customized, differentiated compounding solutions for our challenges
- Ensure product quality by collaborating with Tooling Engineering and Quality Assessment teams at all stages of the creation process
- Build team knowledge for how multiple materials interact in footwear bottoms along with midsole design geometries
- Participate in development trips as needed to work with manufacturers and suppliers on existing and current development projects.
- Travel to and work with HQ innovation teams to extend brand knowledge and bring learnings back to Asia teammates
- Create and build a knowledge base and stay informed about vendor capabilities and performance, factory relationships, quality issues, materials pricing and lead times.
Develop in-house expertise in chemical compound researchHave fluency in researching and landscaping potential new technologies/capabilities both inside and outside the footwear industryLead the development of systems to speed projects to commercialization by developing virtual testing and validation modelsBuild relationships and develop projects with key universities and research institutionsKeep abreast of market trends, new technologies and consumer needs to ensure that products incorporate the functional needs of our consumers’ demand.
Own project management role for multiple complex projects from Brief Phase through Design, Development, and delivery to In-line, Commercialization, or other Innovation teams Plan and execute projects according to project critical dates that lead to on–time delivery of project goalsEffectively communicate with Factory and Asia Development teams to share product expectations and product details that lead to on time delivery of samples.Lead and ensure good communication between core innovation team members, subject matter experts, external partners and leadershipInitiate and lead meetings with project teams during various phases of development to review, evaluate, update and ultimately drive the decision-making process that leads to on–time project delivery
Qualifications:
- Bachelors’ degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Process Engineering or other applicable technical degree; may be substituted with relevant experience
- 7+ successful years’ experience leading the development of high performance materials and compounds for technical running footwear
- 5+ years experience in innovation of athletic footwear desired
- Proven leadership in technical running footwear material development, manufacturing processes, project management, and costing
- Experience with advanced virtual testing and validation techniques such as Finite Element and Principal Component Analysis
- Must be optimistic that a solution to difficult challenges can be found, with the perseverance to keep investigating options until it is.
- Must be willing and show talent for training less-experienced cross-functional teammates in footwear development, the innovation mindset, and how to lead cross-functional projects to success
- Curious and open minded; always open for a challenge, inventive, and seeking creative solutions. With the ability to challenge the status quo – always looking at improving our products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details
- Ability to work in new arenas of footwear material development where specific direction and solution path is unclear at the start
- Proven ability to drive a decision in a collaborative, cross-functional group without command/control to meet strategic objectives.
- Demonstrated ability to develop productive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds resulting in effective working relationships across the company
- High level of independent work ethic and ability with the instinct to know when to reach out for support.
- Keen attention to detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks. Willingness to dive into the details to better understand the “why”.
- Early ability to anticipate how a decision made can affect our customers, our partners, our products or other departments’ operations and/or morale; “connecting the dots.”
- Strong computer skills including experience with Illustrator, Smartsheet, and MS Office software. Flex PLM knowledge is a bonus.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in English that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed
- Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus, overridden by the ability to understand and empathize with the runner in order to develop loyal, engaging relationships with our customers and the Brooks community.
- Embraces and lives the Brooks values!
At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), honorable discharge or military status, protected citizen status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained guide dog by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.
