Senior Manager, Proof of Concept Validation

Department & Details

Department :
Product Creation Development

Reports to :
Director, Finished Goods Proof of Concept

Location :
North Vancouver

As the Senior Manager, Proof of Concept Validation, you will lead a team of specialists across technical sets for Gore, Knits, Wovens, Hardgoods, and Component Compatibility Testing. Your team will work within the Proof of Concept phase to deliver validated technical solutions that support seasonal product testing, innovation, and brand integrity.

Technical Sets are combinations of materials, technologies, and construction methods that require testing to validate feasibility, durability, strength, manufacturability, repairability, and disassembly. These sets include new material applications, assembly techniques, or sequences that have not been previously tested or commercialized by Arc’teryx. Component compatibility testing involves evaluating finished goods using threads, adhesives, interfacing, taping, heat transfers, and other construction components to ensure cohesive performance and durability.

You’ll collaborate cross‑functionally to ensure product feasibility, durability, and sustainability—driving excellence in technical development from concept to commercialization.

This role is based out of our North Vancouver office and is open to hybrid remote work. Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada.

We’re a small but high‑performing team at the heart of product creation. Our work behind the scenes powers every stage of development—from concept to commercialization. We collaborate closely with Designers, Product Developers, and specialists in Circularity, Repairability, Disassembly, Raw Material Development, and Manufacturing to validate the finished goods toolbox and ensure go‑to‑market success.

By building strong relationships across functions, we transform ideas into durable, sustainable, and innovative products that meet the highest standards of performance and integrity.

• Supporting the Director, Finished Goods Proof of Concept in building and coaching a team of leads and assistants to foster technical excellence.
• Driving, leading, coaching, and inspiring Technical Set Leads, Component Compatibility testing lead and assistant to execute seasonal testing plans aligned with brand vision and business calendars.
• Collaborating with Raw Materials Development, Raw Materials Quality, Product Creation and Quality partners to ensure clear understanding of product needs are considered throughout the product development testing and creation lifecycle.
• Coaching the team to partner closely with Design, Product creation development, and Quality to deliver pre‑season validated technical sets for Gore, Knits, Wovens, Hardgoods and Components.
• Overseeing the testing and validation of combined materials, technologies and construction methods for feasibility, durability, manufacturability, repairability and disassembly.
• Overseeing the testing and validation of component materials, like adhesives, fusing, taping, thread, foams, snaps, heat transfers, embellishment methods for feasibility, durability, manufacturability, repairability and disassembly.
• Managing teamwork load and partnering with Product Operations to meet calendar milestones.
• Managing sustainability, circularity, repairability, and disassembly through all aspects of Gore, Knits, Woven’s, Hardgoods technical sets testing and Component compatibility testing.
• Reporting team performance metrics regularly to management team (e.g., validation percentage execution against the corporate calendar, workflow, team capacity vs. line list requirements).
• Maintaining consistent communication with Design, Advanced Concept, Product Creation Development and Quality to uphold standards.
• Collaborating with Supply Chain and Sourcing team to assign Tier1 partners to support finished goods validation and testing for proof of concepts.
• Establishing and adhering to the product development process, ensuring use of standard spec documentation to provide sufficient detail to accurately produce mockups, test samples and maintain an accurate Centric PLM database and technical…