Everyday, our American Boot Builders proudly put their hearts into building and delivering remarkable, purpose-built products that will make an impact on people’s lives today and future generations. Build a product you'll be proud to stand behind. Build your legacy at Red Wing Shoe Company.

Red Wing Shoe Company is based in Red Wing, Minnesota, just 40 minutes from St. Paul, where our corporate office sits along the Mississippi River in downtown Red Wing.  We are a global company with 2300 employees around the world, but we maintain a close-knit family atmosphere that comes with being a privately-held company. We’re rich in history and tradition, but innovation drives us to deliver best-in-class product solutions and highly rated customer experiences.  Focus on our employees and company culture results in meaningful employee engagement across the organization. Our Guiding Behaviors of Living our Values, Honoring our Brands, Inspiring our People, Centering on our Customers, and Preserving the long term success and legacy of our Company are the foundation on which we build our future.

The targeted hiring range for this full-time position is $62,600 - $84,500 depending on qualifications; however, the expanded salary range provides opportunities for advancement. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and job location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, competencies, experience, and relevant education, training or a combination of these things and market demand. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Our comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with health savings and flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance, generous paid time off and holidays, a 401(k) match, employee discounts, and valuable well-being benefits like free EAP services, financial planning assistance, and well-being coaching all designed to support your health and financial security.

GENERAL PURPOSE OF JOB:

The Finishing Technician is responsible for taking direction from the Technical Manager and Business Development Manager on finishing production and research and development formulations, execution of production and sample leathers, and development of new leathers in the finishing department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Oversee Production Formulations
• Ensure machines, including new spray lines, are running correctly each day
• Ensure mixers and matchers are matching colors correctly and mixing up finishes properly
• Troubleshoot Finish formula issues as well as evaluate the performance, durability and aesthetic appeal of finished leather
• Conduct lab-scale testing and reformulate finishes when problems arise, then going back to sample scale if needed
• Analyze results of those trials and scale up as needed
• Provide revised formulas to production for their files.
• Maintain detailed records of formulation recipes, testing results, and process parameters.
• Prepare technical reports and presentations to communicate findings, recommendations, and project updates to stakeholders
• Fix out of spec mills of leather
• Product replacement – reformulate formulas when suppliers discontinue or offer replacement chemicals
• Lead finishing Research and Development team, working with Technical manager
• Design and bring to market new leathers, working with Technical manager
• Work with sales and Lead finishing technician on priority samples and microbusiness; help arrange machines and schedules to meet customer needs
• Help train new finish technicians on how to make leather.  Provide training and technical support to production staff and other team members involved in the manufacturing process
• Shoe Dressing, make and formulate as needed for Red Wing Shoe Company
• Chemical ordering: work with buyer to provide forecast of chemicals needed in production and as well as any samples needed

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• 4-year degree or 3-5 years in equivalent role
• Willing to take Specialized Courses or Obtain a Certification in Leather Technology

Red Wing Shoes is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.
Individuals with disabilities needing assistance in completing an application may contact [email protected] or call 651-388-8211.

Please view Equal Employment Opportunity Posters provided by OFCCP at https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm

All offers of employment are contingent on satisfactory results of a background check and physical exam which includes a drug screen.

Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc. is a drug-free workplace.

Red Wing Shoe Company will not be using recruitment agencies or firms to fill this position and we will not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate information. No agency calls please.

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)