Technical Shoes Specialist

International Retail Sourcing Organisation | Footwear Development & Engineering

Are you passionate about footwear construction, materials and product development?

We are partnering with one of the world's largest international retail sourcing organisations, supporting major European markets through an extensive global sourcing network. As the footwear category continues to grow, we are looking for a Technical Shoes Specialist to become the technical expert driving product excellence across development, sourcing and commercialization.

This role sits at the centre of footwear development, acting as the bridge between product development, merchandising, quality and suppliers across Asia and Europe.

What You'll Be Doing

Lead Footwear Development from Concept to Commercialization

• Drive footwear development from concept through sample development, commercialization and mass production
• Partner closely with merchandising, quality and sourcing teams to ensure products are technically feasible and commercially successful
• Support last creation, pattern engineering, fit optimisation and outsole tooling development
• Resolve footwear construction and manufacturing issues during development and production

Be the Technical Footwear Expert

• Provide technical expertise on footwear construction, materials and manufacturing processes
• Evaluate leathers, textiles, EVA, PU, rubber compounds, foams, adhesives and footwear hardware
• Establish testing requirements and performance standards with factories and laboratories
• Support key supplier discussions and technical reviews with European stakeholders

Drive Supplier & Product Excellence

• Work with factories across Asia to improve product quality, development efficiency and production readiness
• Support new technologies, sustainable materials and innovation projects within the footwear category
• Act as the key technical escalation point for footwear-related issues

What We're Looking For

Must-Have

• 5+ years of footwear technical development, footwear engineering or footwear product development experience
• Strong understanding of footwear construction, including:
  • Last development
  • Pattern engineering
  • Outsole tooling
  • Molding
  • Cement, vulcanized or stitched constructions
• Experience working directly with footwear factories and suppliers
• Strong understanding of footwear materials and manufacturing processes

Highly Preferred

• Outdoor footwear
• Hiking footwear
• Safety footwear
• Waterproof footwear
• Performance footwear
• Footwear R&D
• Product commercialization
• Factory technical support

Why Join?

• Join one of the world's largest international sourcing organisations
• High exposure to European stakeholders and international footwear programs
• Opportunity to drive innovation, technical development and supplier excellence
• Regional scope covering Asia sourcing operations
• Excellent career progression opportunities

Interested in discussing the opportunity confidentially? Apply now or contact Hugo Ng at ConnectedGroup.