Designer II, Mens Basketball Expression Footwear Materials 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.

The Nike Material Design team’s mission is to elevate our product experience by focusing on both the art and science of materials. We are inspired both by our heritage and new innovations, and continually push how materials can be imagined on our products through the edges of performance and style for all athletes. Material Design is a high-performance team that works collaboratively, pushes the boundaries of design, and always stays focused on delivering the best product for athletes.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for an exceptional Footwear Material Designer to combine their experience, problem solving abilities, and creativity to help create the future of Nike Footwear Material. The category you will be working on is Nike Basketball, responsible for on-court product at accessible price points for a global audience, including our sponsored and signature athletes.

The ideal candidate needs to be a highly creative problem solver, with a strong trend-right aesthetic vision who doesn’t settle for anything less than the best design and materials solutions to meet the needs of the consumer at all stages. This person will be focused on elevating the consumer experience by creating materials that are performance and trend-relevant for a range of products, while driving an emotional connection to materials for the consumer through the use of narrative and storytelling. 

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

Your day to day job will be working on a wide range of product from top athletic moments to our core franchises.

If this is you, you will be working on a range of projects- from technically complex material designs using the latest techniques all the way to curation and elevation of existing materials for refresh and collection models. You will be working across multiple teams within the Mens Basketball category.

Your work encompasses concepting and ideating through to finalizing tech packs, as well as working with manufacturing partners, and at times communicating directly with athletes; the daily responsibilities of this role are wide ranging, challenging, and rewarding.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will be partnering with the Nike FW Industrial Design, Color Design, Graphic Design, Digital Design, marketing and Development teams, in bringing to life the seasonal creative direction through Footwear Material design and innovation. You will be joining a team with two additional Material Design partners with whom you will collaborate and divide workload.

This role report directly to the Mens Performance Materials Designer Director.

WHAT YOU BRING

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in design, art or related field; fashion design, product design, industrial design, accessory and footwear design, or textile design (Will also accept a master’s degree in fashion design, product design, accessory and footwear design, industrial design, or textile design); 2 years' additional experience crafting innovative products in lieu of a degree

EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in texiles, materials, apparel, product design or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 2-3 years of relevant design experience exemplifying ability to push material design, and/or relevant experience in Textile Design or Footwear Design.
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge/insights to narratives and product executions.
• Understanding of sneaker, youth, and sports culture.
• Ability to create concepts and explore new Materials innovations and technologies and ideas
• Experience building inspiration/concept presentations, and mood boards for seasonal concepts and direction
• Experience building 3D samples and creating mockup samples by hand
• Participates in the communication and presentation of design concepts to internal and external audiences
• Collaborate and build interpersonal connections with design and adjacent functions
• Ability to create and edit files using Adobe programs including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
• Experience with 3D software tools, like Substance, for material renders and AI generative tools for concept creation
• Ability in participating in multiple seasonal projects with competing resources and deadlines
• Experience with product budgets and meeting targets
• Designing with sustainability in mind 
• Ability and agility to think across multiple projects and work efficiently at a fast pace
• Understanding of the Footwear Product Creation process, a plus.
• Passion for Design!

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees and job applicants. We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.

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.