Lead Designer, Energy Ignite Apparel Product Design, Global Jordan

Nike•Beaverton, OR

About The Position

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. Jordan Energy greatly values a keen sense and deep understanding of the cultures that embody originality, performance and a mindset of defiance. Platforming the rhythm, language, icons, and unsung heroes and their global influence, this role will inspire and challenge traditional convention in translating these points of connection into ideas and concepts that honor the past, elevate the present, and ignite the future of sport and style. To excel in our Lead Designer, Energy Ignite Apparel Product Design role, you must hold a passion for street, sport and fashion cultures and/or adjacent sub-cultures and communities. Jordan Energy greatly values a keen sense and deep understanding of the communities, worlds and spaces that embody originality, self-expression and a mindset of defiance. Platforming the rhythm, language, icons, and unsung heroes and their global influence, this role will inspire and challenge traditional convention in translating these points of connection into ideas and concepts that honor the past, elevate the present, and ignite the future of sport and style. Based in Beaverton, OR, as the Lead, Energy Ignite Apparel Product Designer you will be a part of the Global Jordan Energy team. This team is responsible for taking risks that drive relevance for all Jordan Sports, while exploring new spaces to incubate meaningful, net-new growth opportunities. As the Lead, Energy Ignite Apparel Product Designer you have a passion for innovation and an eye for blending sport culture and irreverent style. You should be skilled and experienced at driving a design vision and direction and strategy, while remaining hands-on in product creation, ideation and the product development process. You thrive in a fast-paced and highly collaborative environments and embraces ambiguity and a dynamic workflow. You navigate diverse personalities with ease and can bring a partner’s vision to life while staying true to our brand ethos and identity. You play a critical role in the conceptualization, design, and development of apparel products in this space. You have a strong affinity for world-building and narrative-driven design, using apparel design know-how and expertise to express culture, emotion, and point of view in a way that feels authentic to the consumer and unmistakably rooted in brand ethos. You are a lead executor; hands-on, detail-driven, and highly fluent across the end-to-end creative process. From early ideation and visual exploration to final production, you deliver work that is both imaginative and precise. You understand how to bring a vision to life through design systems, storytelling, and craft excellence, while maintaining consistency and intent across platforms and products. You thrive in ambiguity, move fast, and push concepts forward through craft, iteration, and conviction. You are deeply plugged into culture and obsessed with how sport, style, music, and subcultures intersect; using that insight to inform product that feels timely, intentional, and unmistakably Jordan Energy. You elevate the room through taste, work ethic, and creative courage. You influence through vision, craft, and example, setting a high bar while encouraging experimentation, evolution, and productive discomfort. A high-impact individual contributor who designs at the highest level while owning significant bodies of work, experimental projects, and seasonal moments that push Jordan’s expressive boundaries. A cultural instigator and creative translator, trusted to work with both internal teams and unconventional external collaborators such as artists, musicians, architects, designers, and cultural disruptors, to create work that feels authentic, intentional, and future-facing. A designer with a distinct point of view, refined taste, and the ability to translate abstract ideas into compelling apparel systems, silhouettes, and expressions, knowing when to push, break, refine, or completely reimagine. A disciplined thinker and creative who thrives in ambiguity, capable of navigating multiple timelines, creative risks, and constraints without diluting vision or integrity. A strategic creative who understands how experimental design can still build brand equity, cultural relevance, and long-term impact, balancing exploration with disciplined execution. A trusted creative partner and cultural translator, skilled at collaborating with internal teams and external partners; including collaborators, entertainers, artists, and retail doors, while ensuring work feels authentic, intentional, and grounded in brand and culture. Comfortable operating at a senior level, presenting work with clarity and conviction, incorporating feedback effectively, and partnering closely with the Energy Ignite Design Director, and cross-functional leaders to bring category-wide creative vision to life through execution. A trusted executional contributor, raising the creative bar through taste, craft, and follow-through; setting standards for excellence.

Requirements

A strong portfolio demonstrating high-level execution across apparel, and/or accessories, with clear storytelling and cultural relevance.
Minimum 5+ years of relevant Apparel Design experience, with demonstrated progression in responsibility and scope.
Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
Lead-level Apparel design skills, including ideation, silhouette development, material exploration, specification, and final execution.
High proficiency in Adobe Illustrator; working knowledge of Photoshop and InDesign.
Deep fluency in street culture, sport, fashion, music, and emerging creative communities, with the ability to translate insight into product.
Strong storytelling and communication skills with the ability to articulate bold ideas, defend creative risk, and inspire partners across disciplines.
Comfort working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, managing multiple projects and timelines simultaneously.
Comfort collaborating across disciplines and functions, with the ability to influence diverse perspectives and personalities to achieve high-quality, aligned outcomes.
A culturally fluent mindset, deeply informed by streetwear, music, art, architecture, sport and beyond.
Strong visual, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to stand behind your work and articulate intent.
Deep respect for Jordan Brand’s legacy, paired with the confidence and zeal to push it forward.
A growth mindset; open to feedback, eager to refine ideas, and motivated to continue leveling up craft and impact

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with 3D tools and emerging technologies is a plus.
Proven experience working on collaborations or high-visibility projects, contributing meaningfully within larger creative systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

Execute against a defined creative vision for brand collaborations, partnerships, and seasonal concepts, translating direction into compelling apparel product designs.
Drive design development end-to-end on assigned projects, from early concepting through refinement, prototyping, and final execution, ensuring storytelling, materials, and details align to the intended narrative.
Partner closely with Directors and Expert-level designers to push ideas further, elevate concepts, and ensure creative intent is maintained throughout the product creation process.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Design, Development, Merchandising, Marketing, and external partners to deliver cohesive, high-quality outcomes on against designated timelines.
Contribute to collaboration storytelling systems, helping translate partner narratives, cultural references, and creative direction into product expressions that feel authentic, relevant, and elevated.
Support collaboration and innovation initiatives by exploring new materials, silhouettes, graphics, and construction approaches that challenge conventions while respecting brand integrity.
Present work clearly and confidently to internal stakeholders, articulating design rationale, cultural insight, and execution choices.
Collaborate with unconventional external partners like artists, musicians, photographers, designers, cultural voices, and more.
Manage design presentations and communicate concepts effectively to cross-functional partners, ensuring projects maintain creative intent while meeting business timelines, operational requirements, and brand standards.
Contribute to the discovery and cultivation of emerging and unconventional creative talent, expanding Jordan’s creative ecosystem.