Design Director, Footwear Upper Innovation

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

As the Design Director of Footwear Upper Innovation, within the Nike Upper Systems team, you will ignite, explore and develop big ideas to create significant impact for Athletes* and Nike.

Our Upper Systems team is a collective of scientists, innovators, designers, and developers all drafting the next generation of benefit driven, state-of-the-art upper solutions. Focused on performance footwear, across sports.

You will lead a small but highly talented team of designers who innovate at the intersection of materials and method of make. Collaborating across innovation teams and with strategic partners to fuel our design and materials teams with the next generation of upper footwear capabilities.

This role reports to the Senior Director of Upper Systems.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for an exceptional Design Director to push the boundaries of Nike's upper design and materials philosophy and standards.

An agile strategic, visionary and entrepreneurial thinker to create original and innovative directions shaped to Athlete* needs. You lead by example and sketch, cobble and create with your team to make vision reality.

You have a track record of driving for big ideas, unlocking new technology whilst centering sustainability.

You are driven by curiosity and thrive in an ambiguous, highly creative, technical and dynamic environment.

You have experience balancing a varied portfolio, multiple projects and are comfortable playing at both edges of creating the future whilst fuelling the business.

You are an influential communicator and collaborator, and able to drive intent, influence and impact with internal and external partners. From Senior leaders to individual contributors.

What you bring:

• Open to work at PHK, Nike World Headquarters
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, Textile Design, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training

• 10+ years of design experience
• Experience inclusive of leading designers and motivating a high level of creativity and execution
• A well-curated portfolio, showing a variety of examples demonstrating creative direction, strategic direction, design development and leading through others
• Proven examples of working and designing for a diverse range of athletes* and consumers
• Proven examples of leading teams, projects, concepts, or challenging briefs to completion
• Proven track record and multiple varied examples of product commercialization or converting innovation projects or platforms to downstream partners and marketplace feasibility
• Proven ability and examples of prioritizing workload and managing short term and long-range projects with varying levels of complexity
• Advanced project leadership skills, proactively and creatively facilitating effective meetings and managing key dates and deliverables with project stakeholders
• High level skills in Illustrator, Photoshop, Miro, and Keynote
• Knowledge of / expertise in AI visualization and 3d design tools are ideal but desire to learn and apply is a must

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

Our mission is to Create Epic product and Make athletes* better.

You will drive a multiyear innovation strategy focussed on key sports, athletes and sporting moments.

You will be integral part of the Nike innovation cohort, shaping the future of performance footwear, a “Gap finder” elevating the possibilities of upper design and creation to revolutionize the footwear product.

• The successful candidate will sit on the Upper systems leadership team and be a key stakeholder in group priorities, budget, direction and culture building
• You will be upstream from the Nike Innovation design team and partner closely with business teams to understand the evolving needs of their athletes
• You’ll work with experts in athlete research, development, engineering, and testing
• You will lead your team against innovation prompts and drive self-initiated work
• You will create clear and compelling strategies, samples, prototypes and presentations   
• You will create the upper design ethos and be adept in fit, feel, form, function and footprint
• You will work on technical design and prototypes with our future capabilities and Asia teams, ensuring testing, early costing and manufacturing feasibility
• Your high taste level and presentation skills is an advantage in exciting and inviting people to embrace future solutions
• You will be part of a matrix organisation and be a keen networker across the organisation  
• You will work on projects anywhere from 5+ years to market

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.