Senior Manager, Kids Footwear Product Design, Global Jordan

Nike•Beaverton, OR

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Kids Footwear Product Design will help shape the creative direction and execution of Jordan Kids Footwear. The role focuses on delivering high-value, accessible footwear that preserves Jordan’s signature craft, cultural resonance, and emotional impact. This leader guides designers through seasonal and long-term concepts, maintains alignment with Jordan’s creative strategy, and helps advance the brand’s reach. The position combines creative judgment and operational precision, translating insights into product, clarifying direction amid ambiguity, and supporting a multidisciplinary team’s growth. As a key creative leader within the Kids offense, the Senior Manager helps define product identity, seasonal direction, and long-term category evolution. The role partners with the Sr. Product Director, Kids, and cross-functional teams to unify product direction, storytelling, and execution. It also supports exploration of new business opportunities as the category grows, ensuring Kids Footwear remains authentic, culturally connected, emotionally resonant, and crafted with intention.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Product Design or a related field; suitable combinations of education, experience, and training will 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 and translating insights into meaningful product direction.
Proven contribution to initiating, developing, and implementing research that uncovers 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 concepts toward successful outcomes.
Ability to prioritize seasonal work and long-term initiatives with differing levels of complexity.
Skill in building and maintaining design vision end-to-end and keeping product aligned with strategy.
Advanced project management skills, including organizing meetings, timelines, and deliverables across partners.
Self-starter mentality driven by curiosity, initiative, and action.
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 footwear’s future.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of Kids Footwear concepts and seasonal assortments.
Translate insights, cultural cues, and consumer behavior into accessible and inspiring product.
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 align product creation.
Drive seasonal processes 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.
Serve as a connector across Jordan Design and broader organizational teams to align product direction, storytelling, and execution.
Mentor designers, guide team dynamics, and foster an open, inclusive creative environment.