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Senior Footwear Materials Developer, Asia

Brooks Running· Footwear – Footwear Advanced Development & Materials, R&D
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Hai PhongFull-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Senior role driving material development from concept to commercialization for Asia, collaborating with global teams, suppliers and factories to bring high-performance materials and sustainable trends into Brooks footwear.

Responsibilities

  • Lead in the development of technical textile designs, material toolbox creation through all physical testing, creation, and commercialization.
  • Manage designated projects focused on core product projects across multiple timelines including validating materials both on and off products.
  • Work across the supply chain to create materials, validate them, and ensure that products can be made and commercialized with all footwear materials.
  • Evaluate the risk factors associated with all material developments and communicate them to the product teams.
  • Submit, manage, and provide feedback on color lab dip Identify options to address risks and lead the execution of solutions.
  • Organize processes and measures that result in timely delivery of quality materials while also providing an action plan to incorporate into a seasonal calendar for the assigned projects.
  • Contribute to advanced materials R&D projects, as necessary.
  • Collaborate with Development, Design, and Product Management to develop materials specifications for product functionality, durability, and aesthetics, including identifying needs and researching solutions with good understanding about the material creation process and a certain level knowledge of the textile/yarn/machinery and knitting methods.
  • Partner with Corporate Sustainability to manage the footwear initiatives pertinent to global laws, business requirements, and consumer expectations. Evaluate new product /materials applications to improve cost, reduce environmental impact or improve quality of Brooks’ products.
  • Coordinate and review with Asia materials testing team, to ensure that materials pass Brooks commercialization process by the specified dates on the seasonal calendar.
  • Review testing with development team to ensure product quality. Recommend adjustments as needed to hit testing requirements.
  • Ensure that Brooks has accurate complete specification sheets on all materials used in the product line.
  • Develop and maintain an organized materials library, complete with up-to-date materials, testing history and specifications.
  • Lead the collaboration with vendors (mills/textiles, synthetics, hardware, and other suppliers) to develop materials that align with Brooks’ quality standards, aesthetics, target prices, and availability needs.
  • Attend material shows, meeting regularly with suppliers for line reviews and traveling to vendors to deliver on materials goals & objectives.
  • Negotiate with Tier 2 vendors on delivery timelines for materials for the assigned projects, collecting the key take-aways during the whole process implementation of the assigned projects to create the best practices.
  • Engage in feedback for yearly supplier audit process owned by the Sourcing Operations team.
  • Travel to suppliers two or more times per year and ensure regular ongoing communication with suppliers.
  • Stay up to date with ongoing research and development to enhance the existing and record materials database.
  • Continuously build advanced materials expertise and make recommendations for our products; create and build a network of contacts within the industry.
  • Other responsibilities as required.

Qualifications

  • BS in Textile Engineering, Textile Design, Materials Engineering, Textile Chemistry, or related fields; may be substituted with relevant work experience.
  • 5+ years of experience leading the material development of high-performance footwear projects.
  • Experience with international material vendors
  • Solid understanding of footwear construction methods, materials, testing & evaluation techniques.
  • Ability to analyze test information and provide subjective feedback in a concise and understanding manner.
  • Keen attention to detail in planning, organization, and execution of tasks, all the while observing the big picture and understanding how everything fits.
  • Willingness to dive into the details.
  • Knowledge of textile manufacturing, dying, finishing, and testing.
  • Computer proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
  • Great interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust across the company.
  • Ability to anticipate how decisions affect customers, partners, products or other departments.
  • Demonstration of innovation and initiative.
  • Passionate participation in Brooks’ sports activities a plus.
  • A good problem solver, able to make many decisions with support and collaborate with Factory Developers, Engineering, and Production.
  • Willingness to travel (Domestic/ International).

Skills

Required:Material development leadershipTextile/Materials testing and evaluationVendor managementCross-functional collaboration
Nice to have:Sustainability awareness
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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Shop superior running shoes and apparel for men and women with free shipping and returns. Your search for great running gear starts and ends with Brooks Running.

Shop superior running shoes and apparel for men and women with free shipping and returns. Your search for great running gear starts and ends with Brooks Running.

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