Senior Manager, Apparel Technical Design & Team Leadership

Nike Inc; Beaverton (OR); Hybrid; USD 1 - 2; Full time

Job summary

Nike Inc in Beaverton, OR seeks a Senior Manager, Apparel Technical Design to lead and mentor a team of Technical Designers, guiding end-to-end apparel development from concept through commercialization. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on ownership to drive best practices and on-time delivery of high-quality products.

You will collaborate across Product Design, Wear Testing, Materials, and manufacturing partners to scale global product excellence and talent development,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Pattern Making, Textile Science or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training
• A minimum of 10 years directly relevant work experience
• 3+ years of People Leadership experience.
• Deep knowledge of the apparel development process, including pattern making, grading, garment construction, costing, manufacturing, materials, print applications, embroidery techniques, and production machinery.
• Proven ability to serve as a technical expert while leading teams and driving initiatives through positive influence and strong leadership.
• Experience managing seasonal development calendars, team workload, sampling strategies, budgets, and risk mitigation for commercial product collections.
• Hands-on experience working with both domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, navigate ambiguity, and deliver results in a deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, with strong attention to detail and process discipline.
• Proven ability to lead, collaborate, and influence across functions and organizational levels.
• Experience developing, coaching, and managing teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and working knowledge of CLO, Browzwear, Lotta, or other 3D apparel development platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of technical development strategies and partner cross-functionally to drive alignment on best practices, digital product creation, and process excellence.
• Guide and mentor a team of Technical Designers, providing technical expertise, removing obstacles, and ensuring successful execution across the product creation process.
• Oversee development calendars, manage critical milestones, and lead the resolution of changes, risks, and exceptions to keep projects on track.
• Maintain ownership of a product workload, balancing short-term deliverables with long-term strategic priorities.
• Lead team meetings, coaching and developing direct reports, collaborating with cross-functional partners, and providing clear communication through key development checkpoints.
• Play a critical role in design reviews, prototype evaluations, fit sessions, and commercialization readiness, ensuring product quality, technical integrity, and executional excellence.
• Proactive problem solver in a fast-paced environment, effectively manages competing priorities, resolves bottlenecks, and drives teams toward successful outcomes.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, diversity, accountability, and continuous growth across the team and broader apparel organization.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Mentoring

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design

Tools

CLO

Browzwear

Lotta

Job description

Nike Inc in Beaverton, OR seeks a Senior Manager, Apparel Technical Design to lead and mentor a team of Technical Designers, guiding end-to-end apparel development from concept through commercialization. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on ownership to drive best practices and on-time delivery of high-quality products.

You will collaborate across Product Design, Wear Testing, Materials, and manufacturing partners to scale global product excellence and talent development,