Footwear Materials & Product Developer

Manchester
1 week ago
Create job alert

Footwear Materials & Product Developer | North West | UK Based | Lifestyle & Performance Business

Why This Role Matters:

You'll play a pivotal role in shaping an iconic, high-visibility footwear launch-one that redefines innovation, pushes performance boundaries, and sets a new standard for the industry. If you're ready to make a meaningful impact and bring groundbreaking ideas to life, we'd love to hear from you.

This is for someone who blends creative ambition with deep technical expertise, pushing the boundaries of what footwear can be. This role is at the heart of material innovation, product creation, and performance excellence, shaping the next generation of high-profile, industry-defining footwear, working very closely with a designer.

Key Responsibilities:

Drive the sourcing and development of cutting-edge materials that elevate product performance and unlock new design possibilities.

Ensure every material meets their sustainability benchmarks
Champion the integration of sustainability and performance targets into all material decisions.
Identify new opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and unlock enhanced product capabilities
Stay ahead of the curve. Track industry movements, attend global trade shows, and explore emerging technologies.
Translate your findings into meaningful product innovations that launch this brand at the forefront of the footwear landscape
Evolve and maintain a material library and digital toolbox.
Cultivate strategic supplier relationships and ensure agility for both long-term development needs and short-lead special projects.
Oversee rigorous QA standards across all materials. Leverage your expertise in yarns, polymers, and material structures to diagnose issues, guide improvements, and collaborate with suppliers and internal teams
Own the product lifecycle with your designer -from concept and prototyping to final production.
Ensure every design is executed with precision while balancing creativity, functionality, and manufacturing feasibility.
Work hand-in-hand with marketing, sales, and brand teams to ensure product direction aligns with consumer insights and brand vision.
Provide deep expertise on performance, construction, and design to maximise product success.
Lead comprehensive testing phases to guarantee each product delivers exceptional comfort, durability, and performance-while looking incredible.What We're Looking For:

Footwear Obsession: A genuine passion for footwear and a strong understanding of materials, design, construction, and performance.

Proven Experience: 4+ years in footwear product development or materials specialization, ideally within a performance-driven or innovation-focused environment.

Creative & Strategic Vision: A future-focused thinker with the ability to generate bold ideas, develop refined solutions, and lead design strategies that connect with the consumer.

Precision & Craft: A meticulous eye for detail with an ability to think holistically across the full product creation journey.

Collaborative Mindset: Strong communication skills and the ability to partner seamlessly across diverse teams and stakeholders.

Trust & Discretion: A high level of professionalism and confidentiality, given the exclusive nature of this project and upcoming product launch.

BH35050

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Jobs

How to Write a Materials Science Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Materials science underpins many of the UK’s most advanced industries, from aerospace and automotive to energy, semiconductors, construction, defence and advanced manufacturing. Employers rely on materials scientists and engineers to develop, test and optimise materials that meet increasingly demanding performance, safety and sustainability requirements. Yet many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Materials science job adverts often receive limited applications or applicants whose experience does not match the role’s technical requirements. At the same time, experienced materials professionals ignore adverts that feel vague, overly academic or disconnected from real industrial challenges. In most cases, the issue is not a lack of talent — it is the clarity and quality of the job advert. Materials scientists are evidence-driven, detail-oriented and highly selective. A poorly written job ad signals weak technical understanding and unclear expectations. A well-written one signals credibility, purpose and serious intent. This guide explains how to write a materials science job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and strengthens your employer brand.

Education Jobs

Maths for Materials Science Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

If you are applying for materials science jobs in the UK, maths can feel like a hidden barrier. Job ads might mention “strong analytical skills” or “ability to interpret data” without saying what that actually means on the job. Here’s the reality: most materials roles do not require advanced pure maths. What they do require is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up repeatedly in: mechanical testing & failure analysis processing & heat treatment phase diagrams & alloy design diffusion, corrosion & degradation characterisation data interpretation quality, metrology, validation & uncertainty materials selection & design trade-offs This guide focuses on the only maths topics most materials professionals keep using, plus a 6-week learning plan, portfolio projects & resources.

Jobs

Neurodiversity in Materials Science Careers: Turning Different Thinking into a Superpower

Materials science is everywhere – in batteries, semiconductors, medical implants, composites for aircraft, sustainable packaging & more. It’s a field built on curiosity, experimentation, precision & the ability to link microscopic structure to real-world performance. In other words, it’s a brilliant match for many neurodivergent brains. If you’re living with ADHD, autism or dyslexia, you may have been told that your brain is “too distracted”, “too literal” or “too chaotic” for a scientific career. In reality, many of the traits that made school or traditional office work difficult can be serious assets in materials science & engineering. This guide is written for UK job seekers exploring materials science careers. We’ll look at: What neurodiversity means in a materials science context How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map to materials roles Practical workplace adjustments you can ask for under UK law How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of where you might thrive in materials science – & how to turn “different thinking” into a genuine superpower.

🍪 We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. You can review our Cookie Policy for more information.