Chief Product Officer (CPO) – Footwear (m/w/d)

Role overview

Chief Product Officer (CPO) – Footwear (m/w/d) to build, lead, and scale Pammys’ Product Organization for the next growth phase. You will connect product strategy with hands-on execution across development, engineering, design, merchandising, sourcing, production, quality, and product marketing.

Responsibilities

• Own the entire Product Organization and further define structures, responsibilities, processes, and leadership.
• Build strong functions/areas including:
  • Product Development & Engineering
  • Sourcing & Production
  • Merchandising & Planning
  • Footwear Design
  • Product Management
  • Quality (QA/QC)
  • Product Marketing & Consumer Insights
• Recruit, lead, and develop leadership talent and specialists; build an organization that doesn’t rely on the CPO long-term.
• Co-create with the founders the long-term product and category strategy (categories, silhouettes, product worlds).
• Lead the end-to-end product development process from idea → design → construction → material selection → sampling → fit/testing → series production and market launch.
• Optimize development processes to:
  • shorten development timelines
  • reduce iterations
  • accelerate readiness for production
• Develop the international factory/supplier network, including strategic negotiations for costing, capacities, quality, lead times, and production conditions.
• Build Pammys’ product/development/sourcing presence in China and develop a strong local team; expand to additional production markets (e.g., Vietnam).
• Establish and operationalize QA/QC structures and ensure quality standards are consistently implemented in production.
• Ensure commercial portfolio steering together with Merchandising & Planning via target cost, buying/selling prices, margins, quantities, launch timing, and product profitability.
• Establish clear product ownership so every product has an accountable owner driving development, design, sourcing, quality, and launch across functions.
• Strengthen the link between product development, consumer insights, and marketing so new products meet real customer needs with clear positioning and scalable commercial potential.
• Work regularly with Asian teams, factories, and production partners; step in on critical operational topics when needed.

Requirements

• “Mehrjährige Führung” (multi-year leadership experience) — further profile details are not included in the provided excerpt.

Nice to have (implied by the role)

• Deep footwear/product development and production know-how, including construction, materials, sampling, fit/testing, and series production.
• Experience building international sourcing/factory networks and setting QA/QC in production.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams spanning design, engineering, merchandising, quality, and marketing/consumer insights.