Manager, Run Research Mental Performance & Experience

Your Job:

The mission of the Brooks Run Research Lab is to unlock the future of the run by transforming human movement and runner experience into innovations that help runners go faster, run longer and feel more alive.

At Brooks, we believe the future of running depends on understanding not only how runners move, but how they think, feel and experience every mile. As the Manager of Run Research Mental Performance & Experience, you will unlock the mind - how runners perceive, experience, and perform. You will lead researchers responsible for uncovering emotional, behavioral, and psychological drivers of the running experience. Your team will transform complex human experiences with product, by turning the voice, motion and emotion of runners into actionable scientific insights that shape the future of running gear and experiences.

You will oversee research spanning the full spectrum of product, physical and mental experience on the run. You will investigate how runners think, feel, and perform - from elite athletes pursuing peak performance to everyday runners seeking enjoyment, motivation and emotional well-being

From understanding the neural and psychological characteristics that enable elite athletes to consistently perform at their best to discovering the sensory, emotional, and behavior factors that make everyday runners look forward to every run and reach for the same pair of shoes again tomorrow.

Working alongside biomechanics, physiology and data science your team will help build Brooks’ holistic understanding of the runner and unlock entirely new opportunities to improve product and runner experience. You will develop actionable insights that influence future footwear and apparel. You will study how product, environment, sensory inputs and psychological factors influence enjoyment, motivation, confidence, and emotional connection to the run.

The ideal candidate is an accomplished researcher with experience designing and executing rigorous laboratory and field studies, developing behavioral models, and translating scientific findings into product solutions. They are equally comfortable working with quantitative and qualitative methods, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and communicating research findings to technical and non-technical audiences.

Your Responsibilities:

Talent Management & Development

• Lead the project work of up to seven Run Research team members throughout the product creation and research cycle.
• Provide direction, coaching and training for direct reports. Monitor team performance, promote career development and be proactive on team dynamics within the group.
• Provide coaching, feedback and performance management.
• Establish a highly effective and collaborative team culture across Brooks.
• Collaborate with the Senior Managers and Director of the Brooks Run Research Lab to create a long-range talent management plan addressing the growth and development of the team while planning for future demand.

Management and Advancement of Run Research Program

• Oversee a single team and project portfolio with influence across the team and immediate cross-functional partners. Align team’s work to near-term product needs and understand the interdependencies across projects.
• Plan and execute Run Research studies that align with product and innovation priorities.
• Display an expert understanding of mental experience and performance and the interaction with performance athletic product.
• Lead and manage novel research programs that capture physical and emotional dimensions of running including movement, usage patterns and subjective feedback.
• Discover the effect of product on the interconnected mental and physical experience on the run.
• Apply and ensure rigorous study design and evaluate data quality and relevance for project decisions.
• Translate quantitative and qualitative runner experiences with product and on the run into measurable scientific constructs.
• Develop research frameworks to understand attention, confidence, motivation, emotional regulation and mental fatigue.
• Develop scientifically rigorous approaches to measuring cognitive and emotional responses during real-world running associated with peak performance and positive running experience for elite athletes and recreational runners. Support advancements in data collection and data analysis opportunities that will advance the ability to evaluate mental experience and performance data. Drive initiatives that take the mental performance and experience data collection out of the laboratory and onto the road with the runner.
• Drive advancements in data collection and data analysis opportunities that will advance the ability to evaluate mental experience and performance data.
• Drive initiatives that take the mental experience and performance data collection out of the laboratory and onto the road with the runner.
• Lead project management of owned research projects across multiple business objectives, utilizing project management tools to track project development, tasks, deadlines, and budgets.
• Initiate and lead meetings with senior level Run Research members to identify growth opportunities for run research and how they support the multi-year business objectives.

Cross-functional Influence & Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with Managers of biomechanics, physiology and data science in the Brooks Run Research Lab to build a holistic understanding of the runner. Establish guidelines to assign priority to projects and define research agendas aimed at improving product performance. Monitor and adjust processes to meet the brand initiatives and demands.
• Effectively translate complex scientific project insights to senior team members into articulate, persuasive, and actionable conclusions to cross functional partners.
• Facilitate results recap meetings, presenting test findings and explanations to high-level cross-functional teams within the company.
• Partners effectively with product team members.
• Develop and expand collaborations with other departments (sales, eCommerce, marketing, communications) to share data, gather various forms of footwear feedback, and allow for optimal use of the run research programs company-wide.

External Market & Opportunities

• Identify opportunities in the market based on trends and consumer needs related to mental performance and experience that will give Brooks a competitive advantage.
• Understands the Brooks point of view as it relates to the brand and the competitive market.
• Network with industry leaders and participate in key industry functions to communicate Brooks’ points of view that help shape the current thinking of mental performance and experience. Opportunities to present at national and international conferences.
• Teach, train and present scientific principles to technical and non-technical groups to communicate the Brooks point of view inside and outside of our walls and visiting groups to the Brooks Headquarters.
• Other responsibilities as required.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. with a background in cognitive neuroscience, sport psychology, performance psychology, experimental psychology, cognitive science or an equivalent analytical field and 3+ years of relevant work experience or equivalent combination of education, experience and training (e.g. Masters and 5+ years or Bachelors and 7+ years)
• 5+ years experience with scientific methodology and project management skills with a keen sense of detail in planning, organization and execution of tasks (self and through others).
• 3+ years proven track record leading or mentoring high functioning reports. Strong desire to support people in their career growth.
• Expert understanding of experimental design and statistical methods with an understanding of performance and injury mechanisms for running.
• Experience in teaching, training and presenting scientific principles to technical and non-technical groups to communicate the Brooks point of view inside and outside of our walls.
• Demonstrated ability to develop highly productive relationships with individuals and teams that are made up of diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds resulting in effective working relationships across the company.
• Ability to create a thoughtful connection with the run and the runner to identify opportunities that have yet to be explored.
• Cross collaboration skills a must, with an ability to identify how your findings and results tie into the bigger picture of the product (costing, construction, design, merchandising, etc.).
• Curious and open minded; always up for a challenge, inventive and creative. Ability to challenge the status quo- always looking at improving our people, products and processes while also displaying a willingness to dive into the details.
• Familiarity with coding languages (MATLAB, Python, etc.) to be able to assist direct reports as needed.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with an ability to communicate a point of view and functional expertise within project teams and to external stakeholders.
• Detail oriented with ability to multi-task. Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment, anticipating and resolving problems in a timely manner.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentational skills.
• Demonstrated MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Access skills are required as well as experience working with PDM or other databases.
• Comfort with uncertainty and absorbing new knowledge fast
• Demonstrated ability to try things quickly rather than waiting for a “perfect” plan.
• Demonstrates an optimistic winning attitude that drives problem solving.
• Demonstrates a growth mindset, seeking and providing feedback regularly.
• Demonstrates ability to operate independently with defined goals.
• Be self-driven and show the ability to deliver on ambiguous projects with incomplete data. Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work in a fast paced, changing environment, anticipating and resolving problems in a timely manner.
• A positive attitude that embraces and lives the Brooks values!