Director Product Creation (w/m/d - all genders welcome!)

Köln, Hybrid

Full-time

Permanent employee

Who we are:

Our footsteps can do more than we realise: they influence how we feel, move and live. That’s why we make shoes that are as minimalist as possible and give our feet back their natural freedom. Crafted from natural materials and produced under fair conditions – for a holistic, free-feeling walking experience.

You as a part of Wildling Shoes:

Wildling was founded on a radical product concept: to rethink footwear – making it more natural, more flexible and more in tune with the wearer.

Our aim is to re-establish Wildling as a product pioneer. To achieve this, we are looking for a Director of Product Creation to drive the strategic, creative, commercial and operational development of our product.

Working alongside the founders and the leadership team, you will translate the long-term product vision into reality and develop the organisation capable of reliably delivering on it. You’ll bring together brand and marketing, product management, design and development, planning, as well as our external development and production partners, to form a high-performing product system.

The aim: more iconic products. A clearer portfolio. Stronger product development. Higher product quality. And a product language that is unmistakably Wildling.

Tasks to expect:

Product Vision, Design Language & Portfolio

Together with the founders, you will develop the long-term product vision and be responsible for product and portfolio strategy.
You will define the creative and technical direction of the product lines in line with Wildling’s brand identity. In doing so, you will refine the design language through silhouette, proportion, sole, material, colour, construction and details.
You will define clear product roles, minimise redundancies and consistently develop successful silhouettes and product ideas further.
You will identify gaps in the portfolio and new opportunities based on consumer needs, the market and commercial relevance.

Seasonal Creative Direction & Product Creation

You will be responsible for the creative framework of the season: product concept, category focus, silhouettes, and colour and material direction.
Together with Product Management and Brand, you translate portfolio objectives and the brand’s vision into clear design and development briefs.
You take ideas from concept through design, material studies and prototypes to the finished product.
You provide precise creative feedback and, together with the team, decide which concepts to develop further.
You ensure that product storytelling and collaborations refine the product concept and are coordinated with Brand and Marketing at an early stage.

Product DNA & Product Excellence

Working alongside Design and Brand, you will continue to develop a clear, practical Wildling product language.
Together with the team, you will find answers to questions such as unisex versus expression, function versus fashion, and Wildling’s future brand recognition.
You will be responsible for the product development process, from briefing and design through to materials, sampling, fit and testing, right through to production readiness.
You will establish clear decision points, quality criteria and rigorous review processes to ensure that key product decisions are made earlier and more effectively.

Commercial Product Excellence

Working alongside Finance, Supply Chain and Planning, you will be responsible for the commercial logic of the portfolio.
You link target cost, pricing, margin, volume and product profitability to product and design decisions.
Consumer insights, sell-through, returns and customer feedback are systematically incorporated into future product decisions.

Development, Production & Partner Strategy

You will strategically develop our collaboration with our development and production facilities in Portugal and Vietnam.
You will establish clear lines of responsibility between Wildling and our partners and ensure that their expertise in development, materials, engineering and production is utilised consistently.
Together with our partners, you will scrutinise construction, fit, materials, costing, quality and manufacturability.
You will make informed decisions about which capabilities we build in-house and which we source from external partners.
On key development and production issues, you will work directly with our partners and production sites on the ground.

Product Organisation & Ownership

You will establish clear lines of responsibility between Product Management, Design, Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain and external partners.
You develop processes that speed up decision-making whilst simultaneously improving product quality.
You foster the professional and cultural development of the Product Team and establish high standards of ownership, product excellence and constructive debate.
Together with Brand and Marketing, you ensure that product ideas, design, collaborations and storytelling are considered holistically from the outset.

We would like you to:

Several years’ leadership experience in the product division of a footwear, fashion, outdoor or design-oriented consumer brand.
A distinct creative vision and the ability to further develop a brand’s unique product language across multiple categories and seasons.
Ideally, at least 8 years’ experience in product management, product development or comparable roles.
A deep understanding of footwear development, construction, materials, fit, sampling and production.
Experience in strategic portfolio and category development.
Commercial understanding of costing, pricing, margins and volumes.
Experience of working directly with international development and production partners, ideally in Europe and Vietnam or Asia.
You are able to develop a long-term product strategy whilst also delving deeply into a sample, construction or production issue.
You are a builder, set high standards and can empower both creative and technical teams.
Very good English; German is an advantage.

That's how we work and this is what you can expect:

How we work:

We design together – your ideas count right from the start.
Learning organization: curious, courageous, and open to change.
Appreciative collaboration with room for personal development.
Close collaboration via tools such as Slack and Asana.
Regular personal exchange in co-working spaces and team meetings
4 joint team events per year

Our benefits:

Flexible working hours and a good work-life balance
Optional company bicycle for you and your family
Employee discount on our products
Company fitness offers
Individual training opportunities
Optional sabbatical
Workation
PME family service (childcare, nursing care, counseling, and preventive healthcare)
BahnCard25

This is how it continues:

We particularly welcome applications that contribute to our efforts to strengthen diversity at Wildling. If you fit the description and would like to join us, we would be delighted to receive the following information from you:

your CV, please without photo and date of birth
Instead of a traditional letter of motivation, we would like to ask you to answer the questions in the application form to give us an initial insight into your motivation and expertise
Your salary expectations and your earliest possible start date

You can find all information about our recruiting process here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our recruiting team at jobs@wildling.shoes, we will be happy to help you.

We are looking forward to your application!