Expert Designer, Tennis Apparel Product Design

Nike; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike Tennis Apparel Design is seeking an Expert Designer to lead premium, athlete‑right performance apparel. Shape silhouettes, construction, and material systems for Nike Team and elite athlete collections.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in performance apparel, hands-on prototyping, and strong cross‑functional leadership to translate vision into premium product. This role blends concept with technical execution to advance Nike Tennis craftsmanship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in apparel/fashion design or related field.
• Advanced expertise in silhouette development, fit strategy, garment construction, and material integration.
• Strong understanding of performance apparel systems, athlete-informed design, and premium craftsmanship.
• Experience with cross-functional product creation teams (design, development, materials, color, graphics, engineering).
• Hands-on experience with digital and physical prototyping tools.
• Proven ability to lead complex design projects from concept to commercialization.
• Strong presentation, storytelling, and communication skills.
• Ability to mentor teammates and influence creative direction.
• Deep knowledge of global tennis culture and athlete needs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Tennis Apparel product creation and contribute to seasonal creative direction and design strategy.
• Design and prototype apparel across Nike Tennis ecosystems (Team, Lab, elite collections).
• Translate concepts into buildable silhouettes, construction methods, and material systems.
• Drive innovation in fit, performance, craftsmanship, and athlete-specific solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to align athlete insights with manufacturing capabilities and commercial objectives.
• Partner with Design Leadership to elevate Nike Tennis creative vision and product experiences.
• Mentor designers and provide creative leadership across projects and initiatives.
• Deliver athlete-tested, consumer-ready collections within timelines.

Skills

10+ yrs exp

Apparel design

Prototyping

Cross-functional

Presentation

Mentoring

Tennis knowledge

Athlete-informed design

Garment construction

Material integration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel/Fashion

Tools

CAD software

3D prototyping

Job description

Who You’ll Work With

We’re looking for an Expert, Apparel Designer for the Nike Tennis Design team. This is a Creative Expert role that is deeply focused on craft, problem solving, and design execution. You will create the future of Nike Tennis and bring the brand’s creative vision to life by designing product that delivers athlete‑right, industry‑leading solutions across Nike Team and top‑tier athlete collections.

Candidates need to have a strong understanding of the apparel landscape across performance and sportswear, as well as market, athlete, and consumer insights. Deep knowledge of technical apparel design, construction, materials, and product innovation is essential. The ideal candidate is a master of creative direction, trend, and strategic thinking, with the ability to translate vision into premium performance product.

Who We Are Looking For

The Expert Designer, Nike Tennis Apparel Design leads the creation of Tennis Apparel platforms and seasonal innovation. You will translate creative concepts into silhouettes, construction, material systems, and product identities that elevate performance, craftsmanship, and athlete expression.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on innovator with deep expertise in apparel design, prototyping, and technical product creation. You are a problem solver, collaborator, and design leader who moves fluidly between conceptual thinking, athlete insight, and technical execution.

This role will help define the future of Nike Tennis by creating premium product systems across:

• Elite athlete collections
• Performance innovation platforms
• Seasonal narratives and material innovation

What You’ll Work On

In this role, you will shape the future of Nike Tennis through innovative apparel design, creating new standards of fit, silhouette, construction, and performance across the world’s premier tennis athletes and tournaments. You will:

• Lead Tennis Apparel product creation and contribute to seasonal creative direction and design strategy.
• Design and prototype apparel across the Tennis ecosystem, including Nike Team, Nike Lab, and elite athlete collections.
• Translate early design concepts into buildable silhouettes, construction methods, material systems, and premium finishes.
• Drive innovation in fit, performance, craftsmanship, and athlete‑specific solutions.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional partners to align athlete insights, performance requirements, manufacturing capabilities, and commercial objectives.
• Partner with Material Design, Color Design, Graphics, Innovation, Development, Product Management, and Engineering to create elevated product experiences.
• Support seasonal product creation by delivering athlete‑tested, consumer‑ready collections that balance innovation, premium execution, and scalability.
• Contribute to Tennis design standards, construction principles, fit strategy, and product innovation frameworks.
• Mentor designers and provide creative leadership across projects and product initiatives.
• Partner with Design Leadership and cross‑functional teams to execute strategic priorities and elevate the overall creative vision for Nike Tennis.
• Your core objective is to achieve product excellence by collaborating across the product creation process and bringing the future vision of Nike Tennis Apparel to life through innovative, athlete‑right design.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in performance apparel design and prototyping across sport and lifestyle.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel/Fashion Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• Advanced expertise in silhouette development, fit strategy, garment construction, and material integration.
• Strong understanding of performance apparel systems, athlete‑informed design, and premium craftsmanship.
• Experience working within cross‑functional product creation teams, including Design, Development, Innovation, Materials, Color, Graphics, Product Management, and Engineering.
• Hands‑on experience with both digital and physical prototyping tools.
• Proven ability to lead complex design projects from concept through commercialization.
• Strong presentation, storytelling, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor teammates and influence creative direction across a design organization.
• Deep knowledge of global tennis culture, athlete performance needs, and premium performance apparel is strongly preferred.

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.