Head of Product Development & Engineering (m/w/d)

Responsibilities

We are representing a confidential footwear brand in Hamburg that is building its in-house technical product development function from the ground up. You will own the complete development process from brief through tech-pack, prototype rounds, sales samples, sealed samples, and series launch including tooling trials, pre-production samples, and top-of-production approvals. Every technical gate in this process sits with you, including the final sign-off that releases a model to production.

You will build and lead your own team across footwear development, last and fit engineering, tooling, commercialization, and materials—prioritizing roles based on growth requirements. A core responsibility is establishing last and fit as a technical competency: developing proprietary last libraries, fit standards, and grading systems. In comfort footwear, the last is the product.

Working closely with material and compound partners, you will develop proprietary comfort technologies for footbeds and sole constructions. You will embed wear-testing, compliance standards (SATRA/ISO, REACH, EU product safety), and quality gates into the development workflow. You will work in a tight cross-functional trio with product management and design, making concepts buildable without diluting their intent, and coordinate closely with sourcing on feasibility, tooling economics, and production ramp-up.

What We're Looking For

• Extensive footwear product development experience, typically 10+ years, with several years spent factory-side in Asia working directly in sample rooms—not just on video calls
• Ideal background in comfort footwear or EVA (injection molding, molded components); alternatively, athletic footwear with deep tooling expertise
• Proven leadership experience managing development teams and coordinating time-and-action calendars across multiple models in parallel
• Strong technical foundation in FOB costing, tooling economics, and materials science
• Business-fluent English and willingness to travel internationally

How We Work With You

Candidates apply directly through Get A Job.ai. Our talent team will conduct an initial screening to understand your footwear development background and leadership experience. If there is a strong match, we will submit your profile to our client for consideration. Please do not attempt to contact the client directly—all communication is managed through our recruitment process to ensure confidentiality and professionalism.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the interview process based on experience and qualifications.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiter. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.