Senior Manager, Run Research

Who We Are:
At Brooks, we believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. That’s why we’re driven to create gear and experiences that take people to the place that makes them feel more alive — whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line.  Everyone who works at Brooks is propelled by a company culture that sparks excitement, fuels collaboration, inspires creativity, and ignites innovation. Our brand values help bond us together and drive our success:  ·       Runner First  We act in the best interest of the runner ·       Word is Bond  We do what we say we’ll do  ·       Champion Heart  We give our all in everything we do   ·       There is no “I” in RunWe stay generous with our humanity  ·       Keep MovingWe find ways to move every day, because joy is kinetic!  We welcome everyone from every walk of life looking to inspire others through the power of movement — because we’re all moving towards something. Let’s run there.   
Your Job:The mission of the Run Research Team is to create and leverage novel, scientific concepts and runner-driven product performance insights to create amazing products to help everyone run their path.  As a Senior Manager, you will be responsible for developing and leading senior members of the Run Research Team at Brooks, providing leadership, direction and career development opportunities for managers on the team. You will lead and manage relationships with our external research partners to develop a holistic view of our runners, deepen our understanding of Run Signature, and develop new processes, methods and technologies to optimize our products for all who run.  You take pride in being able to think outside of the box, challenge methods, results and applications to find creative and innovative solutions that will advance our current state of art running laboratory. You will identify the most critical goals and identify opportunities that will keep Brooks at the forefront of running research. You will identify and lead research initiatives that will bring data collection outside of the lab and out with the runner, on and off the run.  You will utilize your proven leadership skills and your advanced knowledge of running, scientific method and running insights to develop and manage teams in the creation and execution of research programs. In this role, you will work collaboratively within the Run Research Team (Run Performance, Run Perception, Data Science) to define the future of the run and create the best performance running product in the industry.  Specifically, you will connect the dots between inline product creation, innovative product creation and the future of human movement data collection on the run. Cross functionally you will act as an information liaison between our multi-departmental infrastructure including Development, Design, PLM, Merchandising and Manufacturing as you connect the innovation of new product and process with the inline creation process. You will ensure goal alignment between new concepts and proven best practices.

Your Responsibilities:

• Talent Management & Development
• Work across Footwear to create and foster a culture of unity, empowerment, curiosity, optimism, and leadership.
• Lead the project work of up to seven senior Run Research team members for both product creation and research exploration.
• Instill the ability to challenge the status quo, think outside the box, and translate findings and concepts into tangible opportunities, projects and technologies to enhance and advance our products.
• Provide direction, coaching and training for direct reports to ensure job satisfaction, retention and to identify and develop bench strength.
• Monitor team performance, promote career development and be proactive on team dynamics within the group.
• Establish a highly effective and collaborative team culture across Brooks.
• Create a long-range talent management plan addressing the growth and development of the team while planning for future demand.


• Management and Advancement of Run Perception Research Program
• Partner with senior members of the Run Research team to develop, maintain, and implement a 3-5 year strategic goal and action plan for run research. Ensure goals are aligned with the strategic brand vision.
• Establish guidelines to assign priority to projects and define research agendas aimed at improving product performance and maximizing the use of testing resources across inline and innovation sectors. Monitor and adjust processes to meet the brand initiatives and demands.
• Lead and manage Brooks’ human performance research programs that lead to new insights and technologies to improve product performance. These programs relate to inline and innovation footwear and athlete. 
• Lead research initiatives focused on capturing human movement outside of the laboratory and use learnings to translate to innovative product technology that can scale to commercialization. 
• Identify and lead key external academic collaborators that align with the Brooks vision and strategic business objectives, innovating for the runner. Manage outside researcher portfolio and contracts.
• Lead the evolution of human movement data collection on and off the run. Identify possibilities for both research and personalized product creation utilizing runner-specific data. Ensure methodologies support innovation and inline product creation needs.
• Effective translation of research direction to Senior Level Leaders . Provide articulate, persuasive, and actionable conclusions on how projects will drive a positive business impact.
• Manage and encourage new ideas from staff to foster improvements in our processes, products and data collection methods.


• Provide Business Recommendations and Vision
• Collaborate with cross-functional senior leaders to ensure the inline product line represents the voice of the runner rooted in Run Signature.
• Collaborate with cross-functional senior leaders to ensure the innovation concepts and products will be adopted inline at tech transfer.
• Collaborate with mangers on the Run Research Team to create clear storytelling opportunities as product is developed, from compound creation through advanced concept creation and ultimately in go-to-market product.
• Provide leadership in the adoption of agile methodologies from innovation to inline. Resolve the risks and issues that present a barrier to the adoption of new methods or products transferring from innovation to inline.
• Understands the Brooks point of view as it relates to the entire brand as well as the competitive market.
• Identify opportunities in the market based on trends and consumer needs related to biomechanics and human movement that will give Brooks a competitive advantage.
• Network with industry leaders and participate in key industry functions to communicate Brooks’ points of view that help shape the current thinking of running biomechanics.  Opportunities to present at national and international conferences.
• Initiate and lead meetings with senior level members  to identify growth opportunities for run research and how they support the multi-year business objectives.
• Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals. Adapts the strategy to changing conditions.
• Lead collaborations with other departments (sales, eCommerce, marketing, communications) to share data, gather various forms of footwear feedback, and allow for optimal use of the run research programs company-wide.
• Other responsibilities as required.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. with a background in biomechanics, kinesiology, physiology, engineering and/or exercise science or an equivalent analytical field and 5+ years of relevant work experience or equivalent combination of education, experience and training (e.g. Masters and 7+ years or Bachelors and 9+ years) 
• 7+ years experience with scientific methodology and project management skills with a keen sense of detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks (self and through others).
• 5+ years proven track record leading or mentoring high functioning reports. Desire to support people in their career growth.
• Proven track record of creating a strategic research and applied vision, agenda, and leading teams towards a common goal.
• Proven track record of collaborative leadership across multi-department organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop highly productive relationships with teams that are made up of diverse disciplines, resulting in effective working relationships across the company.  Ability to align departments on a set of aligned goals.
• Curious and open minded; always up for a challenge, inventive and creative. Ability to challenge the status quo- always looking at improving our people, products and processes.
• Detail oriented. Strong organizational and time management skills are a must.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment, anticipating and resolving problems in a timely manner.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an advanced ability to communicate a point of view concisely and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholders.  
• Expert MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access skills are required as well as experience working with PDM or other databases.
• Embraces and lives the Brooks values!

Compensation: The pay range for this position, based out of the Brooks Seattle HQ, is $153,675 - $245,880 per year. Base pay offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  
Other:Brooks is proud to offer a robust benefits package to our employees and their families! Benefits- including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance. Paid Time Off- Brooks offers generous time off including three to five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, paid sick and parental leave. Bonus-in addition to base pay, Brooks employees may also be offered an annual bonus based on company performance. Perks- including product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.
Location- You will spend 3 per week in our Seattle offices, as we believe our organization flourishes when connections, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrations happen in person.
At Brooks, we celebrate diversity & equity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment, and encourage people of all backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills to apply. Brooks is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, two-spirit identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), honorable discharge or military status, protected citizen status, actual or perceived victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, HIV or Hepatitis C infection, political ideology, use of a trained guide dog by a person with a disability, or on any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, or any other non-merit based factors.