Design Director Footwear Innovation

NIKE, Inc. is looking for a Design Director Footwear Innovation to join its Innovation design team. This leader will bring bold concepts to life, create industry-leading footwear innovations, and help shape the future of sport.

Who You’ll Work With

You will collaborate with and mentor the Innovation design team, including industrial designers, materials, color, and computational designers. You will work with project teams comprising product managers, developers, researchers, marketing professionals, engineers, and other partners. This role reports to the VP, Innovation Footwear Design and manages a team of two product designers.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a visionary designer with experience designing performance footwear, exceptional taste, a refined aesthetic point of view, and a strong commitment to craft. You will solve complex design challenges, research athletes, ideate future performance footwear solutions, and develop compelling products grounded in sport, cultural relevance, consumer insights, and emerging trends.

What You’ll Work On

• Lead a team designing and expanding the possibilities of human potential through footwear and related products.
• Research athletes, gain insights, and solve performance and manufacturing challenges.
• Work with athletes and project teammates to create creative, appealing, sustainable, and cost-conscious solutions.
• Lead and present work in informal and formal reviews.
• Mentor designers and build and direct larger project teams.
• Drive partnerships with Marketing, Engineering, Development, and other functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, or training.
• Eight years of experience designing and developing innovative footwear and other products.
• Knowledge of form, color, materials, and human factors.
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into product solutions and narratives.
• Experience in technical footwear design; performance footwear experience is a plus.
• Strong Photoshop and Illustrator skills.
• Ability to build accurate 2D technical drawings and tech packs and direct or coach others in creating them.
• Strong sketching, illustration, and rendering skills.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials.
• Presentation experience with Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, and similar programs.
• Leadership, mentoring, collaboration, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Cobbling and prototyping skills, 3D design program experience, and knowledge of sustainable design and manufacturing are a plus.

Benefits and Inclusion

NIKE offers a generous total rewards package, a casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional development. Nike is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations throughout the interview process.