Principal Materials Developer

Job Summary

The Principal Materials Developer is the enterprise-level technical authority for footwear materialsinnovation development and commercialization. This role defines long-range materials strategies andstandards that advance product performance design intent sustainability quality margin andmanufacturing readiness across categories and regions.

Serving as a strategic bridge among global Product Design Innovation Sustainability Sourcing andmanufacturing partners the Principal Materials Developer anticipates emerging material opportunitiesand risks leads the most complex and high-impact development initiatives and elevates materialscapabilities across the organization.

As a senior individual contributor this role provides technical leadership mentorship and decisionguidance without direct people-management responsibility.

Essential Functions

Description

• Defines enterprise materials metrics reporting and decision frameworksthat provide leadership visibility into innovation pipelines developmentreadiness cost quality sustainability complexity and supply risk acrosscategories.
• Leads the research creation validation and commercialization of breakthrough and high-complexity materials that balance design intentconsumer benefit technical performance sustainability cost quality andmanufacturing scalability.
• Sets the strategy standards taxonomy and governance for global physical and digital materials libraries ensuring accurate accessible decision-readyinformation and disciplined material adoption and retirement.
• Establishes multi-season materials roadmaps and directs the most strategic seasonal materials plans from early concept through commercializationaligning innovation priorities with category brand and business objectives.
• Provides technical governance across the end-to-end materials development process establishing readiness criteria resolving criticalexceptions and ensuring high-risk materials achieve performance qualitycost timing compliance and manufacturing requirements beforecommercialization.
• Partners with senior Product Design Innovation Sustainability Merchandising and Sourcing leaders to define global and categorymaterials direction translate future consumer and market needs intomaterial opportunities and influence product creation strategies.
• Authors and evolves material performance standards testing protocols development methods and quality expectations across product categoriesusing technical expertise and data to raise organizational capability andreduce recurring issues.
• Influences and challenges cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders with evidence-based material recommendations that improve productdifferentiation quality sustainability margin speed and manufacturabilitywhile protecting design intent.
• Defines data standards and process requirements for materials within Centric PLM champions data integrity and adoption and partners withsystem and data teams to improve workflows reporting traceability andglobal information exchange.
• Builds strategic partnerships with global suppliers tanneries mills laboratories and manufacturing teams to accelerate innovation strengthentechnical capability improve supply resilience and deliver materials thatmeet consumer market margin and end-use requirements.

Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties orresponsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities maychange at any time with or without cause.

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in Materials Engineering Textiles Engineering Product Development or related field required.
• Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible materials development experience including leadership of complex footwear materials programs across multiple categories season or regions
• Extensive experience influencing global cross-functional teams and working directly with international offices suppliers tanneries mills laboratories and manufacturing partners. Demonstrated success commercializing innovative materials at scale and resolving high-impact technical quality cost sustainability or supply changes.

Any equivalent combination of experience and education which clearly indicates the ability to perform theessential functions of the position may substitute on a year for year basis.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of footwear materials manufacturing product development testingcommercialization and quality processes across multiple product categories
• Deep technical expertise across leather textiles synthetics compounds components finishes and emerging material technologies with the ability to connect material capabilities to consumermarket and design opportunities
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office PLM systems materials data and reporting tools and relevant CAD or visualization programs; able to define system and data requirements thatimprove decision-making
• Exceptional communication storytelling and executive-influence skills with the ability to translate highly technical concepts tradeoffs and recommendations for creative commercial operationaland senior leadership audiences
• Expert command of material applications costing lead times capacity minimum order quantities compliance sustainability considerations supply risk and the commercial implications of material decisions
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity establish enterprise standards solve systemic problems make sound decisions with incomplete information and deliver complex programsthrough influence across a global matrix
• Strong external network and awareness of material science consumer sustainability regulatory and industry trends; able to identify emerging opportunities and translate them into scalableinnovation. Ability to mentor and elevate other materials professionals and travel nationally andinternationally for development supplier engagement manufacturing support and materialshows.

Travel Required: Yes 15-20% of the time.

Base Salary: $166590 - $175845

The salary range posted for this position represents the anticipated hiring range for this role. Offers are made within this range based on factors such as relevant experience skills education internal equity and market considerations. This is the hiring range for the position; compensation above the posted maximum is not typically available at the time of hire.

Work Location:Hybrid

This role is based in the Portland OR area and follows a hybrid work model. Employees are expected to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of our Portland office and generally work on-site four days per week with flexibility based on business and team needs.

Why Work at KEEN:Driven by a passion for life outside KEEN is a values-led independently owned brand from Portland Oregon thats on a mission to create original and versatile products improve lives and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003 KEEN launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations and causes around the world to promote responsible outdoor recreation including conservation efforts to protect open spaces. KEEN strives to show the world through its products and its actions that a business for good can actually be good for business. By giving back reducing impact and activating communities and individuals to protectthe places where we work and play KEEN puts its values in motion and takes action to leave the world a better place.

Fuerst Group KEEN and Chrome are equal opportunity employers. We value an inclusive and diverse community. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race color religion sex national origin age sexual orientation gender identity gender expression veteran status or disability.