Head of Footwear Engineering

Our client is a team of passionate people united by a desire to create and produce exceptional

footwear
products in the most responsible way possible. Combining science, creativity,

engineering, authenticity and teamwork, we obsess over delivering the most incredible products

for their Brand Partners.

Head of Footwear Engineering

This role is based in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

Your Job:

As the Head of Footwear Engineering, you lead the entire engineering function

responsible for building the technical foundation of every product we create. This senior leadership role sits directly under the Brand Director and works in close partnership with the Production Director.

You oversee all Upper Engineering (2D Pattern Engineers, 3D Pattern Engineers, Tech Pack

Engineers, pullover and fit technicians) and all Bottom Engineering (outsole, midsole, insert tooling, moulded components and tooling engineers). Your department ensures design intention is translated into accurate, manufacturable, consistent and responsible engineering solutions.

Your team must operate with a service-oriented mindset, treating Brand Management as your

primary internal customer. Brand Managers own the Brand Partner relationship and rely on

Engineering for fast, accurate and technically sound solutions. You ensure your department

delivers clarity, quality and confidence at every stage of the creation process.

Core Responsibilities:

• 1. Leadership of the Footwear Engineering Function

• Lead all Upper Engineering and Bottom Engineering teams.

• Oversee 2D pattern creation, 3D pattern engineering, Tech Pack creation, pullover and fit

engineering, and tooling engineering.

• Establish engineering standards, documentation systems and best practices across all

engineering roles.

• Develop an engineering culture of accuracy, craftsmanship, curiosity and responsibility.

• 2. Dual Support to the Brand Director and Production Director
• Ensure engineering feasibility, manufacturability, fit accuracy, pattern integrity and

construction quality.

• Provide the Brand Director and Brand Managers with clear, timely and accurate technical

solutions.

• Partner with the Production Director to ensure engineering intent is upheld during mass

production.

• Co-lead technical reviews, commercialisation stage gates and confirmation readiness

processes.

• Enable seamless transition from Creation → Engineering → Commercialisation →

Production.

• 3. Internal Customer Excellence: Brand Management

• Treat Brand Managers as key internal customers and ensure exceptional responsiveness to

their requests.

• Provide practical, technically sound recommendations that Brand Managers can

confidently relay to Brand Partners.

• Anticipate brand-specific engineering needs and proactively support the seasonal creation

process.

• Ensure engineering turnaround times, communication quality and accuracy meet agreed

expectations.

• Strengthen trust between Engineering and Brand Management.

• 4. Upper Engineering Responsibilities

• Lead creation and refinement of 2D and 3D patterns, pullovers and fit specifications.

• Approve pattern accuracy, balance, tolerances, reinforcements, layer mapping and stitch

construction.

• Maintain upper construction libraries, CAD systems and engineering archives.

• Provide design and development teams with construction options balancing performance,

sustainability and cost.

• 5. Bottom Engineering Responsibilities

• Lead development of all outsole, midsole, insert and component tooling.

• Approve tooling files, blueprints, venting, slopes, drafts and parting lines.

• Collaborate with the Production Director on tooling readiness, trials and approval for mass

production.

• Maintain tooling libraries, historical records and engineering databases.

• 6. Commercialisation Support

• Ensure engineering sign-off of final specifications, Tech Packs and construction guidelines.

• Support wear tests, fit analysis, construction validation and engineering corrections.
• Partner with Development, Costing and Planning teams to enable aligned, production-ready

products.

• 7. Technical Problem Solving and Issue Resolution

• Lead root-cause analysis for construction, tooling, pattern or fit-related issues.

• Provide corrective action proposals, engineering alternatives and long-term preventive

solutions.

• Document engineering learnings to support continuous improvement.

• 8. Innovation and Digital Engineering

• Champion advanced CAD, 3D engineering, simulation and digital review workflows.

• Drive engineering innovation in constructions, materials and manufacturing methods.

• Support sustainability initiatives through responsible engineering and design-intent

protection.

• 9. 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping and Digital Fabrication

• Manage all 3D printing and rapid prototyping requests from Brand Management.

• Oversee in-house 3D printing machinery including calibration, servicing and maintenance.

• Ensure availability of printing materials, consumables and spare parts.

• Coordinate external rapid prototyping partners when required.

• Establish prototyping workflows and service levels to support product decision-making.

• Improve digital fabrication capabilities through exploration of new materials and

technologies.

General Responsibilities:

• This role is based in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

• Represent Engineering in cross-functional planning and executive leadership discussions.

• Ensure transparent communication with Brand Directors, Production Director, Development,

Costing, Planning and QA.

• Maintain disciplined engineering documentation and communication standards.

• Provide calm and confident leadership, especially under pressure.

Ideal Qualifications:

• 10–15+ years of footwear engineering experience (upper, bottom or both).

• Deep expertise in 2D pattern engineering, 3D CAD creation, upper construction and last-fit

theory.

• Strong understanding of outsole/midsole tooling, moulding processes and engineering

integration.

• Experience leading multi-level engineering teams.

• Ability to bridge creative design and manufacturing realities with tact and clarity.

• Strong communication and documentation skills.
• Calm, pragmatic and solutions-focused leadership style.