Expert 3D Footwear Designer

Nike • Beaverton, OR

15h

About The Position

This role is for a master craftsperson and design technologist who sets the standard for 3D excellence while pioneering the integration of generative AI into design concept workflows. The individual will create their own design solutions, build custom tools, and guide the organization toward manufacturable innovation, understanding both the art of footwear design and the science of cost-effective production. The position involves defining best practices for 3D design and GenAI integration, creating design solutions for complex product concepts, and partnering with global teams to scale 3D and GenAI tools enterprise-wide. The role also includes mentoring the team, driving strategic vision, and ensuring Nike's 3D and GenAI workflows remain at the cutting edge.

Requirements

• BA/BFA degree in related field preferred. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• 8+ years of experience.
• Mastery of poly modeling across multiple tools with deep specialization in preferred 3D packages (Blender or Maya).
• NURBS modeling in Rhino.
• Computational design in Grasshopper, Blender, or Houdini.
• Deep understanding of engineering and development requirements with ability to provide guidance as teams adopt new 3D tools.
• Expert-level proficiency with generative AI workflows with proven ability to contribute to tool definition and scaling.
• Understanding of footwear costing and manufacturing constraints to help achieve affordability targets.
• Portfolio demonstrating ability to design, model, and execute high-quality 3D content.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to create and use custom Grasshopper scripts that can be shared with others on the team to speed up concept design models is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define best practices for 3D design and GenAI integration.
• Create design solutions for complex Product concepts.
• Partner with global teams to scale 3D and GenAI tools enterprise-wide.
• Mentor the team and drive strategic vision.
• Ensure Nike's 3D and GenAI workflows remain at the cutting edge.
• Create own design solutions and collaborate with Sport team's footwear designers, Design Director, and senior leadership on new concepts, designing, presenting, and influencing direction during co-creation timelines.
• Partner with GenAI team, Global Tech, and CP&I as a key stakeholder to define, refine, and scale generative AI tools and digital workflows for global deployment.
• Drive adoption of both traditional 3D best practices and emerging AI capabilities, helping others understand when and how to leverage each approach effectively.
• Build custom tools and workflows in collaboration with pipeline teams, creating solutions that accelerate the entire organization's capabilities.
• Work on the highest complexity projects with new methods of make, partnering heavily with development and engineering to ensure feasibility while pushing creative boundaries.
• Guide design teams toward manufacturable solutions by understanding footwear creation processes and constraints (cost/scale/speed etc), and identifying how 3D/GenAI tools can deliver new solutions and capabilities.
• Serve as subject matter expert along with VM teams, pipeline teams, development partners, and Innovation DPC, sharing best practices and learning about future manufacturing methods.
• Mentor 3D Designer II and SR team members, maintaining a positive attitude and helping the team understand Nike's strategic vision and how their work contributes to it.
• Execute independently on inline projects, proactively help teammates when they're struggling, and work on high-profile projects including collaborations and quick-strike initiatives.
• Ensure all work meets the aligned output strategy and process to deliver and support asset management transition across digital pipelines.
• Ensure all work meets brand protection standards and is consumer-facing ready, understanding that 3D models and renderings may be shared with Brand or become public.

Benefits

• Accommodations to complete the interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior