Senior Manager Apparel Technical Design, Local Creation

Nike • Beaverton, OR

38d

About The Position

This role combines people leadership with technical product creation ownership, requiring a leader who can both coach and contribute directly to the product development process. The ideal candidate is an experienced apparel technical design and development professional with a proven ability to lead teams, drive product excellence, and guide end-to-end apparel creation from concept through commercialization. They bring strong leadership capabilities, a collaborative mindset, positive influence, and a passion for developing talent while delivering best-in-class product.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, Pattern Making, Textile Science or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training
• A minimum of 10 years directly relevant work experience
• 3+ years of People Leadership experience.
• Deep knowledge of the apparel development process, including pattern making, grading, garment construction, costing, manufacturing, materials, print applications, embroidery techniques, and production machinery.
• Proven ability to serve as a technical expert while leading teams and driving initiatives through positive influence and strong leadership.
• Experience managing seasonal development calendars, team workload, sampling strategies, budgets, and risk mitigation for commercial product collections.
• Hands-on experience working with both domestic and international manufacturers and suppliers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, navigate ambiguity, and deliver results in a deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and decision-making capabilities, with strong attention to detail and process discipline.
• Proven ability to lead, collaborate, and influence across functions and organizational levels.
• Experience developing, coaching, and managing teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and working knowledge of CLO, Browzwear, Lotta, or other 3D apparel development platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of technical development strategies and partner cross-functionally to drive alignment on best practices, digital product creation, and process excellence.
• Guide and mentor a team of Technical Designers, providing technical expertise, removing obstacles, and ensuring successful execution across the product creation process.
• Oversee development calendars, manage critical milestones, and lead the resolution of changes, risks, and exceptions to keep projects on track.
• Maintain ownership of a product workload, balancing short-term deliverables with long-term strategic priorities.
• Lead team meetings, coach and develop direct reports, collaborate with cross-functional partners, and provide clear communication through key development checkpoints.
• Play a critical role in design reviews, prototype evaluations, fit sessions, and commercialization readiness, ensuring product quality, technical integrity, and executional excellence.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, diversity, accountability, and continuous growth across the team and broader apparel organization.

What This Job Offers

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