Lead Product Engineer (Footwear Tooling)

Location: Goleta, California, United States; hybrid schedule with office attendance typically three times per week, Tuesday–Thursday

Salary: $108,700–$146,700 per year for the Goleta location

Company

hirify.global develops and manages footwear and lifestyle brands, including UGG.

What you will do

• Lead footwear tooling development and validation across multiple product categories, from concept through commercialization.
• Ensure tooling aligns with design intent, engineering standards, manufacturability, cost targets, durability, and quality requirements.
• Resolve complex tooling issues through trial analysis, modeling, structured root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Create and improve tooling SOPs, checklists, documentation standards, workflows, and best practices.
• Track tooling KPIs, support vendor benchmarking and capability development, and improve development efficiency.
• Partner with Design, Product Development, and Asia-based manufacturing teams while providing coaching and technical guidance to engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 6+ years of experience in footwear engineering, tooling, or mold development.
• Experience leading tooling development across multiple projects or categories from concept through commercialization.
• Strong knowledge of tooling construction and processes, including EVA, rubber, PU, and injection.
• Ability to interpret 2D/3D drawings, tooling blueprints, and engineering specifications, with advanced data-driven problem-solving skills.
• Experience with PLM systems, Excel tracking tools, engineering documentation, process improvement, and managing multiple priorities independently.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive and equitable workplace that values diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities.
• Competitive compensation programs and bonuses.
• Financial planning, income protection, and wellbeing programs.
• Paid time away and health and wellness benefits.
• Brand discounts, community-based programs, and other employee perks.
• Personal and professional growth and development opportunities.