Sr. Footwear Costing Analyst

Strategic Finance Team | Reports to Sr. Manager FP&A Brand Marketing

Who is Allbirds

At Allbirds, we believe in using business as a force for good. We’re a global footwear and apparel brand with roots in New Zealand and headquarters in San Francisco. Since 2016, we’ve been on a mission to prove that comfort, design, and sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive. Our commitment to creating better things in a better way is fueled by a belief that the fashion industry needs to focus less on flash and more on thoughtfulness. We're a certified B Corporation, meaning we meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. We’re dedicated to making the most sustainable products we can using premium natural materials - designed for life’s everyday adventures. In fact, TIME 100 named us for being one of the most innovative companies. Already calling our first shoe, the Wool Runners, the most comfortable in the world, and there is much more to come.

We take our craft seriously, but not ourselves. As part of the Allbirds family, you can look forward to team lunches, product tests, fun company events, inspiring guest speakers, comfortable shoes, sheep puns, and lots of creative ideas.

Where we need help

This function plays a critical role in Allbirds overall success and profitability, by understanding each cost component of our products and developing tools and reporting to manage costs and identify opportunities to create efficiencies to optimize product margins.

In this role, you will be a key contributor to Allbirds overall profitability by creating and evolving seasonal FOB targets to project short and long-range product costing and propose cost mitigation plans in partnership with Footwear Partners in Product Line Management, Product Development, Design, Materials Development, Sourcing, Supply Planning and Asia Costing Teams. The role requires someone with a proven track record of successful collaborations across teams and strong analytical, organization, and communication skills.

This role will act as a consultant within the Footwear Team, by providing day to day costing expertise, identifying, prioritizing, and implementing cost savings initiatives to hit seasonal product target FOBs and Margin. You will also develop pre-costing tools and deliver training programs to Footwear Product Team in collaboration with Asia Costing Team, to enable design for manufacturing and to achieve optimal product cost.

What does the job entail?

• Provide day-to-day costing expertise and on demand costing support during product creation cycles to advise on key cost drivers and options to adjust costs to meet margin targets.
• Lead seasonal deep dive analysis on FOB variations between prototype rounds and finals, identify the critical gaps and present the learnings to Footwear Product Teams through seasonal share outs.
• Partner with Asia Costing teams to iInfluence costing and optimization discussions with Product teams and Factory Partners throughout all phases of product creation and production
• Provide technical costing expertise and training to Footwear Product Team to enable design for manufacturing and maximize profitability.
• Create and manage seasonal FOB KPI reporting tools to facilitate product value/margin/FOB discussion with cross-functional teams and to enhance margin optimization.
• Support the Sr. Finance Manager on the seasonal margin report preparation and analysis; contribute to continuous improvement of the design, reporting tools and analytics of the report.
• Collaborate with Footwear Category Manager, Finance, Product Line Management, and Merchandising teams to evolve margin strategy and optimize margin goal at the model and category level, within the parameters of the company’s strategic growth objectives.
• Perform Ad-hoc reporting and analytics
• Work closely with Asia Costing, PD, Planning, and Manufacturing teams to actively manage cost drivers in the Cost Break Down and Bill of Materials. This includes detailed review/analysis of documentation and actual manufacturing processes for complete, accurate and optimized product costing.
• Partners with Asia Costing to calculate and track tooling amortization

What kind of person are we looking for?

• 5 + years’ experience working at a premium footwear brand in Costing, Product Development, Engineering or Finance
• Technical experience and knowledge of footwear engineering, product construction and manufacturing methods
• Proven relationship builder, able to influence at all levels of an organization
• Passionate about sustainability and making things in a better way.
• An understanding of what drives Consumer and Commercial value
• Approaches tasks strategically. Is comfortable in the details but can also elevate to provide high level overviews as needed.
• Loves people; is a natural teacher.
• Able to work independently with minimal direction.
• Exceptional analytical and organizational skills.
• Fluent in English, with excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, meet established timelines and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

More practical skills needed:

• Bachelor's degree in Management, Business, Engineering or related field preferred.
• Knowledge of costing fundamentals is required
• Excellent Microsoft Office suite skills, Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Demonstrated success in project management
• Strong analytical, numerical and reasoning abilities; problem analysis and problem resolution at both a strategic and functional level.
• Ability to identify areas of improvement and create project plans

What can we offer? 

The pay range for this role is: $118,000 - $130,000 and must be performed in our San Francisco, CA corporate office or our Portland, Oregon corporate office.

Allbirds routinely evaluates pay rates, and the ranges are subject to change based on market rates and other considerations.  We factor in a number of components when determining starting pay, including the job and level you are hired into, location, skillset, experience, and peer compensation.

Benefits Overview:

When you join our flock at Allbirds, we offer competitive pay as well as bonus and equity for eligible roles, healthcare, retirement savings, and other great benefits for the whole being. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms. For information about benefits and eligibility, please see the detailed list below.

• Health benefits include Medical, Dental, and Vision plans for employees and eligibile dependents. 
• Medical plan options include: PPO, HDHP (100% premium paid for employees, employees only pay premium for dependents), and HMO (in California)
• 100% Company paid OneMedical memberships available for members of certain medical plans. 
• Company HSA contribution for enrolled HSA members.
• Financial benefits include: company equity for eligible roles, 401(k) with employer matching contribution (with immediate vesting and pre and post-tax options), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, company-paid life insurance for full time roles, short-term and long-term disability, pre-tax savings programs for eligible healthcare, childcare and commuter expenses for both full and part-time roles, medical travel expense reimbursement program for full and part-time roles.
• Unlimited PTO for full-time corporate roles, sick and vacation time for  other roles, plus parental leave (with a new parent bonus for full-time employees), volunteering, medical & family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
• Support benefits through Modern Health (free mental health benefit with coaching and therapy sessions), Employee Assistance Program and more.
• Other Perks include: the company discount (50%) on most Allbirds products, discount mall through LifeBalance, reimbursement on eligible wellness expenses (full-time employees) and cellphone and more for certain eligible roles.

Diversity

Allbirds is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. Allbirds policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, marital or veteran status, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member), sexual orientation, pregnancy, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. It also prohibits discrimination based on a perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. All such discrimination is unlawful.