Senior Manager, Kids Footwear Product Design, Global Jordan

Nike • Beaverton, OR

3d

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Kids Footwear Product Design will help shape the creative direction and execution of Jordan Kids Footwear, delivering accessible, high-value products that preserve Jordan’s signature craft, cultural resonance, and emotional impact. The role guides designers through seasonal and long-term concepts, translates consumer and cultural insights into product direction, and helps evolve the Kids Footwear category while maintaining alignment with Jordan’s creative strategy.

This position is a key creative leader within the Kids organization, partnering with the Sr. Product Director, Kids, and collaborating across design, merchandising, product development, consumer insights, innovation, materials, manufacturing, brand, marketing, and external creative partners. The Senior Manager connects these groups to unify product direction, storytelling, and execution. The role also supports team growth, guides work through ambiguity, and helps explore new business opportunities as the category grows.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Product Design or a related field; a suitable combination of education, experience, and training will also be accepted.
• A well-curated portfolio demonstrating research depth, conceptual development, design rigor, problem solving, and high-quality final execution.
• Experience working directly with a broad range of consumers and athletes, with the ability to translate insight into meaningful product direction.
• Proven contribution to initiating, developing, and implementing research that uncovers new product and process opportunities.
• A self-initiated, entrepreneurial approach to innovation and creative solution-building.
• Understanding of innovative methods of make and sustainability-focused design.
• A track record of commercialized footwear products or innovations delivered to market.
• Experience leading teams through ambiguity, clarifying direction, and driving concept work toward successful outcomes.
• Ability to prioritize seasonal work and long-term initiatives of varying complexity.
• Skill in building and maintaining design vision end-to-end and keeping products aligned with strategy.
• Advanced project management skills, including organizing meetings, timelines, and deliverables across partners.
• Ability to articulate creative direction in a way that inspires and mobilizes others.
• Strong collaboration instincts and ability to influence across a matrixed organization.
• Team-oriented mindset that values diverse perspectives and fosters an open, inclusive creative environment.
• Resilience and agility in navigating ambiguity and keeping teams moving forward with optimism and clarity.
• Strong self-awareness and ability to articulate strengths, opportunities, and learnings.
• Growth mindset that embraces experimentation and constructive reflection.
• Deep curiosity and cultural fluency, including understanding design culture and community influences shaping the future of footwear.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of Kids Footwear concepts and seasonal assortments.
• Translate insights, cultural cues, and consumer behavior into accessible and inspiring products.
• Partner with the Sr. Product Director, Kids, to define and maintain Product Direction for Kids Footwear.
• Guide designers through world-building work, visual frameworks, narrative tools, and design systems that clarify Kids Footwear’s role within the brand.
• Collaborate with merchandising, product development, materials, color, and brand partners to ensure alignment and consistency across product creation.
• Drive the seasonal process through briefs, reviews, prototyping, refinement, and cross-functional alignment.
• Maintain clarity and quality across multiple projects, ensuring products meet design and business expectations.
• Support exploration of new business opportunities within the growing Kids offense.
• Mentor designers and guide team dynamics.

Benefits

• Reasonable accommodations for the interview process, including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible or single-location in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other modifications as needed.

What This Job Offers

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