Lead Designer, Footwear Materials Design

Nike; Beaverton (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Nike is seeking a Lead Designer for Footwear Materials Design in Beaverton, OR. This is a 1-year contract with Jordan Kids + Core Footwear Design, focusing on innovative material concepts and cross-functional collaboration to shape future Jordan products.

The role requires a strong background in footwear materials, design storytelling, and hands-on prototyping, with experience presenting concepts to teams and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, art or related field is required or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years' experience designing and developing footwear and related products.
• Experience translating consumer insights into product solutions and narratives.
• Strong knowledge of form, color, materials, human factors, and trend to elevate consumer experience.
• Proven ability to present concepts to groups and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Create concepts and developments for Kids + Core Footwear materials.
• Elevate new technologies and seasonal narratives for Jordan products.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with design, development, PM and merchandising to bring vision to life.

Skills

Footwear design

Product design

Design presentation

Adobe Creative Suite

2D tech packs

3D design

Materials knowledge

Sustainable design

Prototyping

Idea storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design, art or related field

2 years' experience in lieu of degree or equivalent

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Illustrator

Photoshop

Keynote

PowerPoint

Job description

Title: Lead Designer, Footwear Materials Design

Location: Beaverton, OR

Duration: 1 Year contract

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, it's about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

Jordan Design is where creative possibility meets purpose. It's a place for builders, boundary-breakers, and vision-setters - people who move with conviction, think originally, and create work shaped by real experience and cultural depth. Our team thrives when imagination, discipline, and collaboration come together. We look for leaders who bring their full creative voice, who understand the communities that inspire us, and who are driven to shape the future for the next generation of Jordan athletes and fans.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

As a Lead Materials Designer in JORDAN KIDS + CORE FOOTWEAR DESIGN, you'll work closely with your design partners in product design, color design and graphic design. You will also work cross functionally with your technical and material development partners, product management and merchandising teams. This role reports directly to the Design Director, Color + Materials Kids + Core, Jordan Brand.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for an exceptional Lead Footwear Materials Designer to combine their experience, creative problem-solving abilities, and creativity to help create the future of Jordan Footwear Materials. The category you will be working in is the Kids + Core Footwear team. This is a creative and collaborative partnership space that draws in our youngest athletes, drives energy and helps fuel the brand. Our consumers are fearless and wants product that match their attitude and style. They'll 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 strong narrative and emotive storytelling and by pushing the edges of sustainable footwear material design.

• Bachelor's degree in Design, art or related field;. 2 years' additional experience crafting innovative products in lieu of a degree or equivalent combination of education, experience or training
• 5+ years' experience designing and developing innovative footwear and other products
• Passion for Design
• Knowledge of form, color, materials, human factors, trend, related to elevating the consumer experience
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into product solutions and narratives
• Fearless Calculated risk taker
• Experience in technical footwear or apparel design
• Experiencing building 3D samples and crafting mockup samples by hand
• Ability to present new insights or seasonal concepts to small and large groups
• Proficient in creating and editing files using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop skills.
• Adobe Creative suit is a plus
• Must be able to build accurate 2D technical drawings (tech packs)
• Cobbling and prototyping skills are a plus
• 3D design program experience is a plus
• Solid knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials
• Knowledge and experience with sustainable design and manufacturing are a plus
• Experienced with presentation programs: Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, etc.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will be creating concepts and developments on a range of material designs for the KIDS + CORE FOOTWEAR DESIGN segments of Jordan. You will work on elevating new technologies that influence brand-new models, as well as on seasonal narratives elevating existing materials for our classics and iconic products. Your goal is to aim for product excellence by partnering with key stakeholders cross-functionally on the product creations process, pushing the boundaries when it comes to new materials and new method of make and help bring the vision for the future of Jordan Kids + Core products to life.