Senior Principal Footwear PLM, Innovation

Who We Are:

At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.

Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation.

Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:

·       Runner First  

We act in the best interest of the runner

·       Word is Bond 

We do what we say we’ll do

·       Champion Heart  

We give our all in everything we do  

·       There is no “I” in Run

We stay generous with our humanity

·       Keep Moving

We find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!

We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.   

Your Job:

The Mission of the Product Line Management and BlueLine teams are to bring Brooks complete and competitive footwear product lines to market in a timely and profitable manner and to identify the products, technologies, experiences and processes that will shape the future of running in innovative ways.  

The Senior Principal Product Line Manager is responsible for working with the Director of PLM and BlueLine to define the footwear PLM innovation strategy that will chart the future of the global running industry over the next 4-10 years. In addition, you and your team, will lead critical projects that bring groundbreaking changes to the industry, create new product experiences and enhance the overall running experience – all of which will continue to grow the brand and reach more runners.  In this role, you will be responsible for bringing innovative ideas, concepts, technologies and fresh perspectives to existing lines to transform products into solutions for our consumers and to attract future customers.  

• Innovation Strategy
• Partner with Director of PLM to establish a clear vision and set strategic goals for how the footwear innovation PLM team pursues game changing innovation that solves complex problems for new and existing runners alike
• Define and manage a balanced portfolio of innovation projects, ensuring a mix of breakthrough innovations, future concepts, athlete product and incremental improvements
• Create a global strategy around BlueLine concepts that can be introduced into the market at opportune moments to create brand awareness and position Brooks as an innovative thought leader
• Connect the dots between Blueline introductions and future inline product and line architecture to bring disruptive innovation to market to meet consumer’s increasing wants and needs
• Represent the PLM team on the Future Creation Leads team (FCLs) to create cross functional alignment across key decisions that impact the innovation strategy across Horizons 2 and 3

• Strategic Planning and Execution
• Participate in and lead the Innovation PLM segment of the bi-annual Footwear Portfolio meetings to align with Footwear Management and the brand on key strategic goals
• Work closely with the Director of PLM and BL and Principal Footwear PLM, to strategically determine the connection of critical projects across the Innovation pipeline, Blueline, and Athlete to the inline line architecture and roadmap
• Lead or act as a key stakeholder in select groundbreaking innovation projects, research projects and innovation pathways that will have a significant imprint on the future of our innovation playbook
• Leverage your experience in biomechanics by working closely with the Run Research Lab to connect runner latent needs to biomechanical research to deliver new experiences and services to the runner and other consumers
• Partner with the Director of PLM and BL to exert influence across the brand cross functionally on innovation projects, to gain buy-in and alignment for the successful adoption and execution to market of these critical projects

• Innovation Product Roadmap & Portfolio Management:
• Lead the creation and maintenance of the Innovation and BlueLine roadmaps ensuring alignment with both medium-term and long-term business objectives. Regularly update project completion estimates and link them to the inline roadmap based on progress.
• Manage the integration of new innovation projects onto the roadmaps with the existing resources on the PLM Innovation team

• Story Crafting and Cross Functional Support
• Architect compelling emotional narratives for the Innovation PLM team, using latent needs as the foundation for impactful scope and brief documentation
• Galvanize the entire brand by delivering emotional and compelling stories at milestone stage-gate reviews, sales meetings and at GTM and PR events

• Collaboration
• Foster a collaborative environment where creative problem-solving, experimentation, and risk-taking are encouraged
• Collaborate closely with Product Marketing on the communication of innovative concepts, athlete product, and the stories tied to them, so the essence of the project is ingrained in the go-to-market plan
• Work closely with the Innovation managers as well as the Seasonal Creation Leads (SCLs) to ensure the smooth tech transfer of new innovations to pre-season and/or inline teams
• Travel regularly with your Asia counterparts to identify new exploration opportunities with existing and/or new vendors.
• Create an atmosphere of close and regular collaboration across the global footwear innovation team

• Leadership
• Lead the trajectory of innovation at Brooks by  influencing and inspiring the Innovation PLM  and  cross functional Footwear Innovation teams to shape the future of performance footwear in the industry
• Foster a culture of innovation across product teams, ensuring ideas are continually generated, assessed, and implemented
• Be the innovation expert that provides coaching and development opportunities for cross functional team members to grow their innovation capabilities and product knowledge
• Promote a fail-fast, learn-fast mentality and encourage cross-pollination of ideas across teams

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or equivalent or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• 12+ years of experience in a relevant product management related role.
• Demonstrated ability to conceive/create new ideas pertaining to product and process.
• Proven ability to lead, influence and gain buy-in and trust across the function and enterprise without command/ control to meet strategic objectives.
• Proven leadership capabilities to influence across the organization and lead strategic business objectives with a proven ability to prioritize workload and manage short term and long-range projects.
• Proven track record in leading successful execution and delivery of strategic company projects.
• Expert knowledge of materials, constructions and biomechanics
• Strong business orientation, analytical aptitude and computer skills.
• Creativity and passion for product.
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel up to 30% of time, including internationally.
• Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
• Demonstrated ability to develop highly productive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
• Curious and open minded; always up for a challenge, inventive and creative. Ability to challenge the status quo- always looking at improving our people, products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details.
• Detail oriented. Strong organizational and time management skills are a must.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment, anticipating and resolving problems in a timely manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an advanced ability to communicate a point of view concisely and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholders.   Strong storytelling, presentation and communication skills, including meeting facilitation.
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!

Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $162,928 - $265,505 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  

Other:

Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families!

Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.

Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave.

Bonus-in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance.

Perks- including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.

Location- You will spend 3 days per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.

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, the presence of a physical, mental, or sensory disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), caste, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained service animal 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.