Senior Design Manager, Footwear & Apparel Expression, Nike Basketball Signature Athlete

Nike • Beaverton, OR

13d

About The Position

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Design Manager, Footwear and Apparel Expression (Color, Graphics, Materials) to join Nike Basketball. This role is responsible for shaping the visual expression of Nike Basketball products, inspired by signature athletes, by integrating sport, style, and performance. The ideal candidate is a visionary design leader with a refined aesthetic, a strong commitment to craft, and an eye for detail, proportion, and storytelling. They should possess cultural awareness, understand emerging trends, and be capable of creating products that resonate with consumers. A Bachelor's degree in Design or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training, is required, along with at least 8 years of experience in design or a related field. Exceptional knowledge of design, art, fashion, sport, and youth culture is essential, as is the ability to translate consumer insights into creative solutions and articulate design strategy. Proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as presentation software like Keynote and PowerPoint, is necessary. Expert knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials is also required. The role demands the ability to generate a wide range of concepts, lead, coach, and collaborate with design teammates, contribute to team culture, and act as a catalyst for connections within the design community. A passion for basketball and a curiosity to learn about the sport and its athletes are important, though being a player is not a requirement. A design portfolio focused on expression work on wearable product is mandatory for consideration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Design or related field, or any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• At least 8 years experience in design or related field.
• Exceptional knowledge of design, art, and fashion, as well as passion for sport and youth culture.
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into creative solutions and narratives.
• Ability to articulate design intent and strategy.
• Expert Photoshop, Illustrator skills.
• Experienced with presentation programs: Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, etc.
• Expert knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials.
• Must be able to generate a broad range of concepts and solutions for each project.
• Ability and passion to lead, coach, collaborate, and onboard Design teammates.
• Contribute and align to shared team culture and behaviors.
• Catalyst to make connections with other Design groups.
• Motivated and hardworking about bringing others along.
• Extraordinary teammate, and humble leader.
• Collaborator with skill in connecting the dots.
• Speaks up with courage for self and the team.
• Open-minded, good listener, receptive to candid feedback and diverse points of view.
• Passionate and curious to learn about basketball and the athlete.
• Provide a design portfolio focused on expression work on wearable product (upload a PDF or provide a URL and password if applicable).

Nice To Haves

• Being a hooper is not a requirement but being passionate and curious to learn about basketball and the athlete is.

Responsibilities

• Create concepts and developments for color, materials, and graphic designs for the basketball signature athlete.
• Elevate new techniques and narratives to influence new product expressions.
• Aim for product excellence by partnering with key stakeholders cross-functionally on the product creation process.
• Help bring the vision for the future of Nike Basketball products to life.
• Unleash creativity with a focus on industry-leading design.
• Leverage consumer insights to inform creative responses.
• Collaborate and help build the design direction with the Senior Creative Director.
• Act as a team leader and mentor for other designers.
• Manage a Lead Expression Designer.
• Work hand in hand with a large project team of different professionals (engineers, researchers, scientists, marketing, testing, sustainability, materials, costing, etc.).
• Collaborate within the design community (concept, footwear, apparel designers).

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

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