Footwear Materials Designer: Elevate Performance Narrative

Nike Inc; Beaverton (OR); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike Inc is seeking a Footwear Materials Designer to drive material innovation and storytelling for performance and lifestyle footwear. You will push concept development, build 3D samples, and translate consumer insights into compelling material narratives across multiple product lines.

You will collaborate with Core Footwear Product Design, Color Design, Graphic Design, and Marketing teams to deliver seasonal directions, while managing fast-paced timelines and budgets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in textiles or related field or equivalent experience.
• 2–3 years of relevant design experience in Textile or Footwear Design.
• Ability to translate consumer insights into narratives and product executions.
• Understanding of sneaker, youth, and sports culture.
• Experience creating concepts and exploring new material innovations and technologies.
• Experience building mood boards and presentations for seasonal directions.
• Experience building 3D samples and hand-made mockups.
• Ability to present concepts to internal/external audiences.
• Collaborate with design and adjacent teams across functions.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Experience with 3D tools like Substance and AI-based concept creation.
• Able to manage multiple seasonal projects with tight deadlines.
• Design with sustainability in mind.

Responsibilities

• Work on a wide range of footwear product spanning performance and lifestyle for men and women.
• Create and curate technical material designs using current techniques and new ideas.
• Finalize tech packs and collaborate with manufacturers and athletes when needed.
• Partner with design teams to bring seasonal direction to life through materials.

Skills

Textile/Footwear design

Trend forecasting

Concept development

3D prototyping

Storytelling narratives

Presentation skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Sustainability minded

Fast-paced adaptability

Product creation understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in textiles or related field

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Substance 3D

AI generative tools

Job description

Nike Inc is seeking a Footwear Materials Designer to drive material innovation and storytelling for performance and lifestyle footwear. You will push concept development, build 3D samples, and translate consumer insights into compelling material narratives across multiple product lines.

You will collaborate with Core Footwear Product Design, Color Design, Graphic Design, and Marketing teams to deliver seasonal directions, while managing fast-paced timelines and budgets.