Senior Performance Footwear Designer, Field Sports

Aquent (United States); Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking an experienced Performance Footwear Designer for a contract role to support its Field Sports design team. You will develop innovative, performance-driven footwear concepts for cleated sports including football, baseball, and cricket, translating athlete needs into technically feasible product designs.

Join a globally recognized athletic brand environment, manage projects independently, and present concept ideas through to prototyping with cross-functional partners in a

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on footwear design experience, ideally in athletic or performance footwear.
• Strong concept development skills, with the ability to turn creative ideas into technically feasible product designs.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Experience designing performance-driven products with an understanding of footwear materials, construction, and functionality.
• Ability to independently manage complex design assignments in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• A portfolio demonstrating relevant footwear design work is required for consideration.

Responsibilities

• Develop innovative footwear concepts for cleated and performance-driven athletic products.
• Translate athlete needs and performance requirements into compelling design solutions.
• Create sketches, renderings, and detailed design presentations using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Explore materials, construction methods, and technical design solutions that support product performance.
• Collaborate with footwear development, product creation, manufacturing, and other cross-functional partners.
• Independently manage design projects, adjusting priorities and responding to evolving business needs.
• Present design concepts, incorporate feedback, and advance ideas toward prototyping and development.

Skills

Footwear design

Concept development

Independent project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Footwear design degree

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Vizcom

Job description

Aquent is partnering with a globally recognized athletic footwear and apparel company to find an experienced Performance Footwear Designer for a contract role supporting its Field Sports design team. This designer will develop innovative, performance-driven footwear concepts for cleated sports, including football, baseball, and cricket. We’re looking for a creative, technically knowledgeable designer who can independently take ideas from initial concepts through developed product designs.

What You’ll Do

• Develop innovative footwear concepts for cleated and performance-driven athletic products.
• Translate athlete needs and performance requirements into compelling design solutions.
• Create sketches, renderings, and detailed design presentations using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Explore materials, construction methods, and technical design solutions that support product performance.
• Collaborate with footwear development, product creation, manufacturing, and other cross-functional partners.
• Independently manage design projects, adjusting priorities and responding to evolving business needs.
• Present design concepts, incorporate feedback, and advance ideas toward prototyping and development.

What You’ll Bring

• Approximately 7+ years of hands-on footwear design experience, ideally in athletic or performance footwear.
• Strong concept development skills, with the ability to turn creative ideas into technically feasible product designs.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Experience designing performance-driven products with an understanding of footwear materials, construction, and functionality.
• Ability to independently manage complex design assignments in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• A portfolio demonstrating relevant footwear design work is required for consideration.

A degree in footwear design, industrial design, or a related discipline is preferred but not required.

Nice to Have

• Experience designing cleated footwear for football, baseball, cricket, soccer, or related field sports.
• 3D modeling or rendering experience.
• Experience using AI visualization tools such as Vizcom for concept exploration.
• Experience working within a large, matrixed product creation organization.

Why Apply?

• Design for athletes: Contribute to performance footwear concepts developed for competitive sports.
• Work with an iconic brand: Gain experience within a globally recognized leader in athletic product innovation.
• Own meaningful projects: Bring creative and technical expertise to complex footwear design challenges.
• Collaborate with specialists: Work alongside experienced product creation and development teams.
• Expand your portfolio: Contribute to technically sophisticated performance footwear design work.