Principal, Manufacturing Engineer, India

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will collaborate across Product Creation, Innovation, Chemical Engineering, Tooling Engineering, Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Demand & Capacity, and manufacturing partner teams. The role is expected to act as the engineering leader to bridge between product creation, factory execution, capability development, and manufacturing system readiness. This role will be based out of Kanchipuram, India.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a technically strong footwear manufacturing engineer who can combine hands-on process knowledge with structured engineering methods, pattern making, tooling design, factory execution discipline, and enterprise-level collaboration. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between the sample room, production floor, technical reviews, and leadership discussions.

• Any Bachelor’s degree in Footwear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, or related engineering / technical discipline; advanced technical education is preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in footwear manufacturing engineering, pattern making, process engineering, product development, commercialization, or manufacturing capability building.
• Experience in footwear manufacturing environments across sample, trial, Pattern Engineering, commercialization, and production environment.
• Experience in Project Management and Storytelling.
• Strong understanding of footwear construction, bottom tooling, upper engineering, bonding systems, assembly flow, manufacturing methods, materials behavior, and quality-critical process parameters.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose manufacturability risks, convert technical issues into corrective actions, and scale engineering solutions across factory environments.
• Experience using data, statistical thinking, root-cause analysis, DoE, FMEA, process capability, control plans, and structured problem-solving methods to improve manufacturing outcomes.
• Ability to partner with cross-functional teams and factory leadership to evaluate new technologies, standardize best practices, and improve production readiness.
• Strong communication skills in English, with proficiency in MS Office and business intelligence / data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, FMEA, process capability, measurement systems, standard work, and factory quality systems.
• Experience with automation, modernization, digital manufacturing, manufacturing systems, or advanced tooling is an advantage.
• Ability to work across cultures, influence without direct authority, and lead complex technical discussions with factory and enterprise teams.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

• Provide technical leadership to ensure manufacturing partners meet Nike’s strategic goals, quality expectations, and engineering readiness requirements.
• Lead manufacturability reviews for new products, constructions, materials, and manufacturing methods; identify risks early and influence corrective action before scale-up.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Systems Engineering and factory teams to drive global strategic initiatives, pilot new capabilities, and define implementation requirements.
• Develop, validate, and standardize engineering best practices on the factory floor, including process parameters, standard work, control plans, and capability checks.
• Use data-driven engineering methods to improve process stability, reduce rework / rejects, strengthen the performance, and improve production readiness.
• Participate in product tear-down meetings and technical reviews to provide manufacturing feedback on construction, tooling, materials, process sequence, and quality risks.
• Drive structured problem solving for complex manufacturing issues, including root-cause analysis, experiment planning, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
• Support the scale-up of innovative manufacturing methods and technologies by assessing feasibility, process capability, operator readiness, equipment requirements, and risk controls.
• Build future-ready engineering capability within manufacturing teams through coaching, technical standards, best-practice sharing, and hands-on problem solving.
• Influence cross-functional decisions by communicating technical trade-offs clearly across product, engineering, sourcing, factory, and leadership stakeholders.