FOOTWEAR DEVELOPER
Location: LANX, Whalley, BB7 9YE
Job Type: Full-Time
About LANX:
LANX is a rapidly growing Lancashire based footwear brand. We take great pride in producing quality footwear for both men and women. Since launching on a local market stall in 2018 we have enjoyed rapid growth; with our team now 50 strong (and growing), we attend 20+ events each year, a shop in Manchester's popular Northern Quarter and official footwear suppliers to a host of sports teams including; Wales RU, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins and Wigan Warriors. We remain ambitious and are looking for new staff members to help the company grow and prosper in the years to come.
Job Overview
We're looking for an experienced Footwear Developer to join our growing product team at LANX. You'll take ownership of the technical side of our footwear range — refining existing styles to improve fit, construction and durability, and working closely with our design team to make sure new products are technically sound from the start.
Responsibilities:
- Existing products: Analyze existing sku’s to find weak points, or improve areas that need improving. (fit, construction, etc).
- New products: Using your expertise to aid the footwear design team to optimize designs technically.
- Monitoring: Using returns data and customer feedback to improve product engineering and reduce the returns rate
- Problem solving: When issues arise, they need to be resolved thoroughly and efficiently.
- Sample sign off: Ensuring samples match techpacks across all stages of development and production.
- Leather / Colour consistency: Ensuring all parties are 100% clear on leather tolerances and colour windows.
- QC: Spot checking goods in to ensure deliveries are aligned to agreed sample standards.
- Techpacks: Produce detailed sketches, CADs, renderings, and techpacks to clearly portray information to partner factories.
- Communication: Conversing daily with our partner factories to ensure projects are progressing smoothly.
- Attention to detail: Signing off production samples to ensure the quality of stock arriving is as good as it can be.
- Due Diligence: Ensure all product designs adhere to legal requirements.
- Punctuality: Work independently and ensure that all Critical Path deadlines are met.
- Organisation: Keep files up to date and organised to ensure clear and accurate handovers.
Requirements/Skills
- Excellent technical knowledge of footwear, including various material properties and shoe construction.
- Able to track and adhere to strict lead timelines
- Patternmaking experience.
- A degree (or similar qualification)
- Problem solving mindset.
- Strong data analysis skills
- Ability to multitask
- Technical capability to confidently influence the business and provide on-the-spot solutions to any product related issues that might arise.
- Passionate and product-driven.
- Resilient in adapting to change.
- Experience working with footwear factories.
- Computer skills: Adobe Illustrator (or similar CAD programs), 3D CAD preferred
- Strong hand sketching ability preferred
- Own car and clean driving license is preferred
EXPERIENCE:
- 5+ years experience within the footwear industry
PEOPLE YOU’LL BE WORKING WITH
- Directly reporting to our Product Director
- Working closely with the product team; Product developer, Merchandiser, Footwear designs and Product admin assistant.
- Interact frequently with all of our partner factories and suppliers
YOU’LL BE RIGHT FOR LANX IF
We are a start up, and we’re looking for people who are ambitious, have a burning desire to learn, have an obsessive attention to detail, an entrepreneurial mindset and want to really make their mark on a business trying to do good. If you want to be part of a big team - this isn’t going to be right for you. Working in a startup is quite different. Start-ups are vibrant, fast paced, often hard work, but always incredibly rewarding.
WORKING DAYS & HOURS
Monday - Friday: 8.30am - 5pm
PLACE OF WORK
On site - LANX, Whalley, BB7 9YE
Travel to our partner factories and suppliers is required multiple times a year
ANNUAL LEAVE
- Permitted 28 days annual leave per year pro rata
- Restrictions to take annual leave in November, *December and the first 2 weeks of January
- *There may be a Christmas shut down in December for all staff, for which annual leave must be used, dates tbc
MUST WORK
- Annual Sample Sale Weekend - (Usually March, date tbc)
- Summer Sale Weekend (Usually July, date tbc)
- 2 additional days around Black Friday
- For the above additional days annual leave will be granted, or you can be paid 1.5 your normal day rate
ANNUAL SALARY
- £35k - £45k depending on experience
BENEFITS
- 40% off the full rrp on all LANX footwear
- 1x additional wellness day off per year - this comes in the form of a team bonding day
- Monthly staff social events - all expense paid for
- Staff christmas party - all expense paid for
- In-house HR manager for support
- Company pension
- Heavily discounted gym membership
Pay: £35,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- Health & wellbeing programme
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Whalley, Lancashire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Footwear Industry: 5 years (required)
- Footwear developing : 5 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
