Footwear Materials Quality Engineer

SENIOR, FOOTWEAR (FW) MATERIAL QUALITY ENGINEER

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM OR INDONESIA

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

This role sits within Nike’s Product Integrity organization and reports to the Senior Manager, Footwear Material Quality Engineering. The role partners with Tier 2 material and post-processing suppliers, Tier 1 footwear factories, Supplier Management, Material Development, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Creation, and Materials Quality Capability teams.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Nike is looking for an experienced material quality professional who can independently lead the resolution of complex footwear material issues in post-processing environments. The ideal candidate brings practical knowledge of material manufacturing processes, testing methods, inspection practices, specifications, defect modes, and quality risk controls. This person demonstrates hands-on experience in containment, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and effectiveness verification. They apply sound judgment, communicate technical findings clearly, and create alignment across suppliers, factories, and cross-functional teams. They are also comfortable navigating ambiguity, escalating critical risks promptly, and translating issue learnings into preventive actions. Success in this role requires strong analytical capability, disciplined execution, collaborative leadership, and commitment to accountability, process excellence, and continuous improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in materials, textiles, color science, chemistry, footwear manufacturing, footwear post-processing, industrial engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in material manufacturing, material quality engineering, supplier quality, color quality, post-processing, or production issue resolution within footwear or a related industry.
• Practical knowledge of relevant manufacturing processes, testing, inspection, specifications, defect modes, and quality risk controls.
• Hands-on experience with containment, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and closure verification.
• Ability to work independently with suppliers, factories, and cross-functional teams while applying sound judgment and timely escalation.
• Strong analytical, communication, and execution skills; English and local language preferred.
• Open to work in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam or Indonesia, with the ability to travel approximately 10%.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will lead the end-to-end resolution of footwear material quality issues related to post-processing, from initial containment and root cause analysis through corrective action and verified closure. You will strengthen supplier performance, improve process consistency, and apply issue learnings to prevent recurrence across the footwear supply chain.

Resolve footwear material quality issues

• Own assigned Post-Processing issues from intake through verified closure.
• Drive timely containment and risk mitigation with Tier 1 factories and Tier 2 suppliers.
• Lead structured root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and effectiveness verification.

Coordinate partners and escalate risk

• Align suppliers, factories, and Nike teams on issue facts, actions, owners, and timelines.
• Manage defined issues independently and escalate complex, ambiguous, or high-risk cases promptly.
• Translate technical findings into clear decisions and actionable stakeholder updates.

Maintain visibility and accountability

• Maintain accurate issue records, status, risk level, next steps, and closure evidence.
• Contribute to dashboards and reviews that support prioritization and escalation.
• Use quality data to identify recurring failure modes and systemic supplier gaps.

Apply technical expertise and improve capability

• Serve as the subject matter expert in post-processing technologies, including but not limited to printing, heat transfer, lamination, coating, bonding, embossing, finishing, and surface treatment.
• Assess process conditions, specifications, testing, inspection findings, and defect patterns to determine effective resolution.
• Convert issue learnings into preventive guidance, supplier improvement priorities, and inputs to quality capability programs.

Drive Process Excellence

• Participate in cross-functional projects aimed at improving material quality processes, governance, and issue management effectiveness.
• Help identify process gaps and contribute to the development of standardized workflows, quality standards, and best practices.
• Share learnings from issue resolution activities to improve operational consistency and effectiveness.