Job Details

Role: Material Developer

Location: Beaverton, OR

Duration: 8-Month Contract

We are seeking a Lead Materials Developer – Footwear to join the North America Express Lane Footwear Product Creation Team. This role will play a key part in driving material innovation and product excellence across footwear categories including Lifestyle, Jordan, Running, and Kids.

This is a highly collaborative role focused on developing, sourcing, and implementing materials that meet design intent, performance, cost, and sustainability goals in an accelerated product creation environment.

Portfolio Required:

Candidates must provide a portfolio showcasing a variety of materials work and examples of translating design concepts into manufacturable products suitable for mass production.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the materials development process from concept to commercialization ensuring timelines and specifications are met.
• Develop material palettes, tools, and data to support effective material selection across product categories.
• Collaborate with design, product development, product management, and operations teams to deliver product excellence.
• Work closely with material vendors and suppliers to source materials and resolve technical issues.
• Drive initiatives related to material strategy, sustainability, and innovation.
• Monitor market trends, new technologies, and consumer preferences.
• Mentor team members and support technical knowledge sharing.
• Ensure materials are ready for commercialization and large-scale manufacturing.

🔹 Must Have Qualifications

• 5+ years of footwear materials development experience
• Experience working within tight timelines and fast-paced product creation environments
• Strong collaboration and cross-functional communication skills
• Ability to translate design concepts into scalable, manufacturable materials solutions
• Portfolio demonstrating variety of materials and production-ready work

🔹 Nice to Have

• Experience working across multiple footwear categories or organizations
• Knowledge of material supplier relationships and sourcing processes
• Experience working with a wide range of materials such as leathers, synthetics, textiles, fibers, and trims

🔹 What You Bring

• Strong understanding of footwear material types, manufacturing technologies, and tooling
• Ability to interpret design intent and recommend alternative material solutions
• Experience managing multiple projects and timelines simultaneously
• Strong communication, leadership, and influencing skills
• Ability to collaborate with global and cross-functional teams