Lead Designer, Mens Basketball Create Footwear Product Design

Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At NIKE, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

NIKE, Inc. designs the future. At NIKE, Inc. designers chase their curiosities and build what’s next, shaping the culture and advancing human potential. The Design teams include artists, inventors and specialists, all with different focuses, including color and material experts, and apparel, footwear and graphic designers. Nike designers look to the future, aggressively pursuing materials, ideas and forms that further elevate the athlete experience, raise the bar for modern style and reduce environmental impact.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for an outstanding Lead Designer to combine their Footwear design experience, problem solving abilities, team leadership, relationship building, management skills, critical thinking, and creativity to help lead the future of the industry. As a Lead Footwear Designer, you will build industry-leading footwear designs from concept to reality.

This person will be passionate about elevating the consumer experience by meeting the needs of the basketball consumer through the impact of culturally connected influences and narratives. They will be crafting and implementing design direction by demonstrating the overarching creative direction of the performance division.

As a Lead, you will empower the team, celebrates wins, and cultivate a climate that encourages an open collaborative mentality through equity, inclusion and diversity.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will work on designs that push the possibilities of sports and culture through footwear. We expect you to explore new opportunities, take risks, and change the game!

In your day to day, you will engage with project teammates on researching, gaining insights, problem solving around performance and manufacturing, working with athletes, and crafting a vast range of creative and alluring solutions. With each project, you are encouraged to also participate and present the work in informal and formal reviews.

You will champion a culturally connected vision with emphasis on product design integrity, forward thinking, and performance right solutions within the category portfolio. Seasonally, you will evaluate consumer trends, macro global insights and marketplace analysis to drive a connected experience across all models and styles within Basketball.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

As a Lead Footwear Designer, you will be working hand in hand with a large project team of different authorities (engineers, researchers, marketing, sustainability, materials, costing, etc), collaborate within the design community (industrial designers, materials, color, graphics, computational, etc.). You will work under the direction of our Snr. Design Director and amongst the design community to elevate the future of Sport.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Design Requirements:

• Preferred design experience: 5-7 years
• Creative experience (consumer/segment/dimensions)
• Knowledge of consumer, style and culture
• Build original product designs in collaboration with Design leadership
• Complete broad range of product price points and model types
• Must be able to generate a broad range of concepts and solutions for each project
• At times support projects and design community that are broader in scope (ex. Innovation, multi-gender/dimension/activity, supporting classification vs. collection)
• Cross-functional communication and proficient at communicating design concepts to internal and external audiences
• Significant engagement with external partners (ex. athletes, league, collaborator, etc.)
• Cobbling and prototyping skills
• Digital design competence (design-based software needed: Creative Suite)
• Preferred knowledge and experience with sophisticated digital tools/3D skills
• Presentation/Communication style: Clear, Concise, and Thoughtful (strong verbal and written skills). Ability to present new ideas or seasonal concepts to small and large groups, including addressing executive leaders, and external partners or customers.
• Bachelor’s degree in textiles, materials, apparel, product design or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience

NIKE, Inc. is a growth company that looks for team members to grow with it. Nike offers a generous total rewards package, casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and an electric atmosphere for professional development. No matter the location, or the role, every Nike employee shares one galvanizing mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

NIKE, Inc. is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.