Director of Footwear Engineering
Are you an experienced footwear engineering leader with a deep understanding of manufacturing, construction, and tooling processes?
Do you thrive in fast-paced, cross-functional environments where innovation, quality, and operational excellence go hand in hand?
Can you lead high-performing teams while driving forward technical standards, tooling readiness, and best-in-class production methods?
MacGregor Black is currently partnering with a globally recognised footwear brand on the search for a Director of Footwear Engineering, based in Cologne, Germany .
This is a critical leadership role within the Product and Engineering team, responsible for leading engineering operations across footwear production and development, while ensuring seamless alignment with Product Development, Commercial, Quality, and Manufacturing teams.
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead and mentor engineering and operations teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
* Ensure technical readiness across all footwear projects, coordinating handovers from Product Development to Commercial and Production teams.
* Oversee planning and execution of upper serial trials and technical documentation, working closely with Construction, Technical, QM, and Planning teams.
* Provide detailed reports to senior leadership on engineering milestones, product status, and production readiness.
* Own key relationships with external mold and tooling partners, including price negotiations, development timelines, and delivery accuracy.
* Drive continuous improvement across engineering processes, aligning practices with industry standards and sharing best practices cross-functionally.
* Research and introduce new innovations in materials, technologies, and equipment to improve production outcomes and efficiency.
* Act as a cross-functional project lead within the wider product and production landscape, aligning teams on objectives, timelines, and output quality.
* Manage team operations including performance evaluations, resource planning, and skill development.
What We're Looking For:
* Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related discipline.
* Minimum 12 years’ experience in footwear engineering, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles.
* Deep knowledge of footwear manufacturing across all construction types.
* Strong understanding of 2D/3D grading systems, last development, tooling, and blueprint interpretation.
* Experience overseeing tooling and mold development with external vendors.
* Proficiency in MS Office, project management, and reporting systems.
* Transparent, proactive leadership style with a precise, systematic mindset.
* Fluent in English; German language skills are a plus.
* Willingness to travel to collaborate with external and internal stakeholders as needed.
Please contact Tom Honeyman for more details today.