R&D Tech Lead - Footwear

About Cult - Curefit Healthcare Pvt Ltd, founded in 2016, is India’s largest fitness company and wellness platform. Cult, from the house of Curefit, was established with a mission to make fitness easy, fun and accessible to everyone, and has emerged as a community celebrating the joy of fitness. The brand today offers a range of fitness services ranging from group workouts, gyms and personalized fitness solutions, as well as an expansive selection of quality fitness products for the everyday athlete. The company’s vision is to empower everyone towards an active and healthier lifestyle through innovative fitness solutions, enabled by technology.

highly driven and deeply technical R&D Technical Lead – Footwear

technical depth, creative curiosity, and execution rigor

Key Responsibilities:

Product Innovation & Technical Ownership

• Own the

  end-to-end technical development

  of footwear products across all categories — from idea to shelf.
• Drive

  continuous innovation

  in construction methods, component engineering, insole, sole technologies, material blending, and ergonomic performance.
• Actively lead

  new last development programs

  across sport and lifestyle categories — ensuring comfort, fit consistency, and biomechanical support.
• Take complete responsibility for

  packaging innovation

  — optimizing for sustainability, protection, unboxing experience, and cost.

Root-Cause Analysis & Problem Solving

• Be the

  go-to person for solving complex product problems

  arising from field performance, customer feedback, or production variability.
• Lead detailed

  RCA (Root Cause Analysis)

  for every significant product complaint or failure — across materials, construction, fit, or wear performance.
• Fix issues at the root level and ensure learnings are

  documented and fed back

  into future product cycles and SOPs.

SOPs, Standards & Norms Creation

• Build and standardize

  robust SOPs, material standards, performance benchmarks, testing protocols

  , and production guidelines for all current and future product lines.
• Institutionalize

  knowledge into documentation

  that scales — ensuring consistent output across factories, vendors, and internal teams.

Material & Construction Excellence

• Research, source, and test advanced materials (textiles, leathers, foams, rubbers, composites) based on functional need, sustainability goals, and cost targets.
• Lead new development trials and

  optimize manufacturing processes

  for durability, comfort, and scalability.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate deeply with

  design, merchandising, sourcing, production, and QA teams

  to ensure technical feasibility and execution integrity.
• Train and upskill junior engineers, QC teams, and vendor partners on technical developments and standards.
• Actively contribute to seasonal and long-term

  product strategy discussions

  , bringing in a strong

  technical and consumer lens

  .

Experience & Qualification

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in

  Footwear Technology, Industrial Design, Leather Technology

  , or related field.

• 7–8 years of strong technical leadership experience

  in footwear development or R&D — preferably across multiple categories.
• Demonstrated expertise in:
• Last development and foot anatomy
• Insole and midsole innovation
• Outsole tooling and grip systems
• Material and compound development
• Wear and field performance analysis