Manager, Product Development & Engineering Innovation

Watch here to see what it'slike to work at Red Wing Shoe Company.

Red Wing Shoe Company is based in Red Wing, Minnesota, just 40 minutes from St. Paul, where our corporate office sits along the Mississippi River in downtown Red Wing. We are a global company with 2300 employees around the world, but we maintain a close-knitfamily atmosphere that comes with being a privately-held company. We're rich in history and tradition, but innovation drives us to deliver best-in-class product solutions and highly rated customer experiences. Focuson our employees and company culture results in meaningful employee engagement across the organization. Our Guiding Behaviorsof Living our Values, Honoring our Brands, Inspiring our People, Centering on our Customers, and Preserving the long term success and legacy of our Company are the foundation on which we build our future.

Our comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with health savings and flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance, generous paid time off and holidays, a 401(k) match, employee discounts, and valuable well-being benefits like free EAP services, financial planning assistance, and well-being coaching all designed to support your health and financial security.

The targeted hiring range for this full-time position is $115,400 - $155,700 depending on qualifications; however, the expanded salary range provides opportunities for advancement. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and job location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, competencies, experience, and relevant education, training or a combination of these things and market demand. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

The Product Development and Engineering Innovation Manager leads the development, engineering, and innovation of new products from concept through commercialization domestically (USA). This cross-functional role blends technical development engineering expertise with strategic innovation leadership to create breakthrough solutions that meet evolving market, consumer needs, and business objectives. The role is both a hands-on problem solver and a visionary thinker capable of managing the fully journey of new products or solutions from concept through development to successful market launch. This management role will collaborate cross-functionally with product creation, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to ensure go-to-market execution of high-quality solutions.

What You'll Do

Product Development / Engineering

• Drive engineering, prototyping, and testing for new products.
• Manage sample room operations and ensure production readiness.
• Create technical specs, CAD models, and documentation.
• Partner with manufacturing and supply chain for cost efficiency and manufacturability.
• Troubleshoot technical issues and align commercialization with production.

Team Leadership

• Inspire and mentor team members, promoting collaboration and growth.
• Provide hands-on leadership and clear strategic direction.
• Translate corporate initiatives into actionable plans.

Innovation

• Identify trends, technologies, and automation opportunities.
• Collaborate on ideation, concept development, and feasibility assessments.
• Integrate innovation into business operations and champion creative thinking.

Work Environment

• Work performed primarily in an office setting based in Red Wing, Minnesota, with regular visits to sample rooms, test labs, and manufacturing facilities.
• Requires exposure to manufacturing environments that may include noise, moving machinery, adhesives, dust, and varying temperatures.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, or Materials), Footwear Design, Product Development, Innovation Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in product development, product engineering, R&D, or manufacturing within the footwear industry.
• Proven track record of managing projects from concept through commercialization.
• Experience in last engineering, outsole tooling, mould development, and material performance.
• In-depth knowledge of design, development, and commercialization process within go-to-market.
• Experience with various footwear construction methods (cemented, Goodyear welt, stitchdown, injected, vulcanized).

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Proficiency with CAD software (Rhino, SolidWorks, AutoCAD), rapid prototyping, 3D modeling, and digital prototyping tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent product initiatives with varying timelines and complexity.
• Strong experience leading and working with cross-functional teams (product creation, manufacturing, and sourcing).
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence and align cross-functional teams.
• Creative thinking skills with a balance of commercial and technical constraints.
• Passion for technical innovation and continuous improvement in materials, construction, and performance.

Red Wing Shoes is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.

Individuals with disabilities needing assistance in completing an application may contact rwsc.recruitment@redwingshoes.com or call 651-388-8211.

Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP athttps://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm

All offers of employment are contingent on satisfactory results of a background check.

Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc. is a drug-free workplace.

Red Wing Shoe Company will not be using recruitment agencies or firms to fill this position and we will not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate information. No agency calls please.

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)