Head of Footwear

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On behalf of our Client, a fast-growing company operating in the sports and lifestyle industry, we are seeking an experienced professional for the position of Head of Footwear.

This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of a category with significant growth potential and play a key role in shaping its future direction. We are looking for a visionary leader who combines strong business acumen with deep footwear expertise and a genuine passion for product development. The successful candidate will be responsible for building and developing a competitive footwear category by driving product innovation, enhancing technical capabilities, and creating compelling consumer offerings.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement both short-term and long-term strategies for the footwear category.
• Drive the growth and positioning of the sports and lifestyle footwear portfolio.
• Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from concept creation and product design through development, production, and market launch.
• Lead product development processes and optimize the supply chain in close cooperation with sourcing and production teams.
• Collaborate with manufacturers and component suppliers, including Asian partners, to introduce innovative footwear technologies.
• Ensure the highest standards of quality, functionality, durability, and product performance.
• Monitor market trends, consumer behaviour, and competitive activity to identify new business opportunities.
• Take ownership of category performance, including sales, margin, and budget targets.
• Build, lead, motivate, and develop cross-functional teams involved in product development, design, and purchasing.
• Work closely with teams based in both Poland and China to drive category success

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience within the sports footwear industry.
• Strong understanding of footwear construction, technologies, materials, and product development processes.
• Knowledge of biomechanics and customer needs within the sports category.
• Experience gained in product management, buying, product development, design, or related areas.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to build and develop successful product categories.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to combine product, technical, and commercial perspectives when making business decisions.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, energy, passion, and a strong drive to build and grow a category.
• Readiness to take ownership and accountability for the future development of the footwear business.

We are open to candidates coming from both commercial and product-focused backgrounds. Whether your experience has been built within product management, buying, design, or product development, what matters most is your expertise in sports footwear, leadership capabilities, and ability to define and execute a compelling vision for category growth.

Location

The role can be based in:

• Krakow, Poland, or
• China.

This is an on-site position. Relocation support may be considered for the right candidate.

What Our Client Offers

• The opportunity to shape and develop a strategically important business category.
• A highly influential role with direct impact on product strategy and business performance.
• International exposure and close cooperation with teams and manufacturing partners across global markets.
• A dynamic environment focused on innovation, product excellence, and continuous growth.
• The chance to create meaningful impact within a growing international organization.

If you are passionate about footwear, understand the complexities of sports product development, and are excited about building a category with significant growth potential, we would love to hear from you.