Assistant Manager, Product Development (HOKA)

We are partnering with a leading footwear brand to identify a high-caliber Assistant Manager, Product Development to join their fast-growing Asia team. This role sits at the heart of innovation and execution—driving product creation from concept to commercialization for seasonal collections.

If you are passionate about technical footwear development, cross-functional collaboration, and delivering world-class products at scale, this is a strong opportunity to step into a regional leadership role with global exposure.

The Opportunity

As a key member of the Product Development team, you will own the end-to-end development process—from product brief through to T1 approval and RTB, ensuring products meet design intent, performance standards, and commercial targets. You will work closely with US HQ, Asia teams, and manufacturing partners, acting as a technical expert and strategic partner across development, engineering, and commercialization.

Key Responsibilities

Product Development & Execution (Core Focus)

• Lead development and commercialization of footwear products, ensuring alignment with brand vision, quality standards, and margin targets
• Manage timelines from concept to RTB, ensuring on-time delivery of all development milestones
• Analyze tech packs and propose improvements in materials, construction, costing, and manufacturability
• Oversee BOM accuracy and all technical documentation (patterns, molds, specs, cost sheets, etc.)
• Drive sample development, testing, and fit validation to ensure production readiness
• Lead cross-functional meetings (T1, teardown, etc.) with internal teams and factory partners

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Act as a key liaison between Design, Engineering, Merchandising, QA, and Production teams across regions
• Build strong partnerships with factories and suppliers to ensure smooth execution
• Support decision-making and problem-solving across complex development challenges

Process Improvement & Best Practices

• Identify opportunities to enhance development processes and efficiency
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across product lifecycle management

Innovation & Industry Engagement

• Stay updated on new materials, technologies, and manufacturing methods
• Participate in factory visits, trainings, and global collaboration sessions

Key requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in footwear development/commercialization/production / QA
• Strong expertise in materials, construction, molds, and footwear engineering
• Solid understanding of product development lifecycle and seasonal timelines
• Proven ability to manage complex projects in a fast-paced, global environment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders
• Fluent in English (Mandarin is a plus)
• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and driven with an ownership mindset