Sr. Product Developer (Hybrid)

Topo Athletic is a young, rapidly growing athletic footwear company on a mission to help people move better, for life. Our core values of authenticity, ambition, clarity, and connection drive everything we do at Topo. If you join our team, you’ll not only have an impact on our business but the opportunity to have an impact on the communities and people we serve. 

The Opportunity

At Topo Athletic, a Designer Brands company, we're passionate about creating footwear that helps people move naturally and perform at their best. As a Senior Product Developer, you'll play a pivotal role in bringing innovative footwear concepts to life, guiding products from initial design through commercialization and into the hands of our customers.

This is an opportunity for a product development professional who thrives at the intersection of design, performance, technical expertise, and collaboration. You'll partner closely with Product Management, Design, Engineering, Sourcing, and global manufacturing teams to transform ideas into high-quality products that deliver on performance, fit, comfort, and value. Your expertise in footwear construction, materials, and manufacturing processes will help shape products that reflect our brand vision while meeting quality, cost, and timeline expectations.

If you enjoy solving complex challenges, collaborating across functions and cultures, and influencing product outcomes from concept to production, this could be an exciting next step in your career.

What You'll Be Doing

Product Development & Commercialization

• Lead the end-to-end footwear development process from concept through production for assigned projects.
• Partner closely with Product Management and Design to align on seasonal goals, project objectives, deliverables, and timelines.
• Coordinate development activities across cross-functional teams and track progress against key milestones.
• Guide products through the development lifecycle while identifying opportunities and proactively addressing potential risks.

Technical Product Expertise

• Leverage your knowledge of footwear construction, patterns, grading, materials, molding processes, and manufacturing techniques to evaluate prototypes.
• Review technical drawings, material test data, and wear-test results to identify potential product improvements or risks.
• Drive development processes that ensure products achieve intended performance, fit, quality, and specification requirements.
• Support product validation activities to help ensure consistency and quality across the product line.

Product Data & Development Systems

• Own and maintain critical product information including Tech Packs, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and related data within PLM and digital creation systems.
• Ensure product documentation remains accurate, organized, and aligned across internal teams and external partners.
• Maintain strong data integrity throughout the development cycle to support successful commercialization.

Global Partnership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Topo Athletic and DBI Asia Development, Engineering, Costing, Sourcing, and Manufacturing teams to deliver products that meet margin, cost, and quality targets.
• Foster strong working relationships across product management, design, sourcing, development, and manufacturing teams.
• Maintain open, timely communication with stakeholders throughout the product development process.
• Assist in addressing quality-related concerns and partner across teams to protect product performance and brand reputation.

Cost Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct product teardowns and cost analyses to better understand construction methods, materials, and manufacturing opportunities.
• Make recommendations that help balance design intent, consumer expectations, manufacturability, and cost objectives.
• Contribute ideas that improve product development processes, efficiency, and overall product quality.

What You'll Need

Experience & Education

Required

• 4+ years of footwear development experience.
• 4+ years of experience within the footwear industry.
• Experience utilizing product management and product development tools.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred

• Experience developing athletic footwear.

Technical Knowledge

• Solid understanding of:
  • Technical drawings
  • Footwear construction
  • Molding processes
  • Materials and material testing
  • Wear-test data
  • Footwear technologies
  • Pattern engineering
  • Grading
  • Production and manufacturing processes

Collaboration & Communication

• Proven ability to drive decisions and influence outcomes within collaborative, cross-functional teams.
• Strong relationship-building skills with individuals across diverse functions, backgrounds, and global regions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong presentation and negotiation abilities.

Problem Solving & Ways of Working

• A solution-oriented mindset with the persistence to work through challenges and adapt as new information emerges.
• Curiosity and a willingness to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and improve products and processes.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and developing solutions in evolving environments.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to understand downstream impacts.
• Ability to work independently while recognizing when collaboration or support will help move work forward.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10-15%.
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment and commute to the Framingham, MA office 2-3 days per week.

Success in This Role

Individuals who thrive in this role are often able to:

Set Direction & Drive Progress

• Create effective plans and manage competing priorities.
• Anticipate risks and develop contingency plans when needed.
• Embrace change and continuously seek opportunities to learn and improve.
• Take initiative and contribute innovative ideas.

Build Strong Partnerships

• Foster collaboration through respect, transparency, and accountability.
• Consider multiple perspectives when solving problems and making decisions.
• Navigate challenges and uncertainty with professionalism and adaptability.
• Build trust with teammates and business partners.

Deliver Results

• Take ownership of goals and outcomes.
• Make thoughtful, timely decisions.
• Break down complex challenges to identify root causes and solutions.
• Consistently meet commitments and deadlines while maintaining high-quality work.