Principal, Footwear Designer, Energy

Information about benefits can be found here.

As a Principal Footwear Designer in Energy you will be working hand-in-hand with a large project team of different professionals (engineers, researchers, scientists, marketing, testing, sustainability, materials, costing, etc.), collaborating within the design community (industrial designers, materials, color, graphics, computational, etc.), and mentoring other designers. You will partner closely with the Director, Energy Footwear and cross-functional leadership to shape and deliver the creative vision.

As our Principal Footwear Designer in Nike Energy, you will create industry-leading footwear that combines original design thinking, consumer and cultural insight, innovation and craft. You bring deep design expertise and technical knowledge to develop distinctive product from concept through realization.

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training
• 10 plus years’ experience designing and developing innovative footwear and other products
• Knowledge of form, color, materials, human factors, related to elevating the consumer experience
• Connection to culture, art, music, and fashion preferred
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into product solutions and narratives
• Experience in technical footwear design – collaboration experience is a plus
• Strong Photoshop, Illustrator skills
• Must be able to build accurate 2D technical drawings (tech packs)
• Cobbling and prototyping skills are a plus
• 3D design programs experience is a plus
• Strong sketching, illustration, and rendering skills
• Solid knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials
• Must be able to generate a broad range of concepts and solutions for each project
• Knowledge and experience with sustainable design and manufacturing are a plus
• Experienced with presentation programs: Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, etc.
• Positive personality and energy
• Ability and passion to lead, mentor and onboard Design teammates
• Contribute and align to shared team culture and behaviors
• Catalyst to make connections with other Design groups
• Lead + drive partnerships beyond the Design function (Marketing, Engineering, Development, etc.)
• Motivated and hardworking about bringing others along
• Extraordinary teammate, and humble leader
• Collaborator with a 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
• Must be willing to travel frequently and with short notice

In Nike Energy, you will work on designs that push the possibilities of human potential through footwear (and beyond). You will explore new opportunities across the footwear portfolio, connecting consumer and cultural insight with innovation, craft and product storytelling. You will develop ideas from early concept through product realization, balancing creative ambition, performance, manufacturing and cost. With each project, you are expected to also participate and present the work in informal and formal reviews. In addition to individual project work, the Principal Designer will help shape design direction with Design leadership, bringing deep footwear expertise, creative leadership and mentorship to the team.

Additional Information:

Job Description Summary

Designs the products that will be created and sold to consumers. Includes original concepts, selection of appropriate materials, and modifications to ensure manufacturability.

Creates and drives original footwear concepts from creative vision through product realization. Generates new ideas while translating broader creative direction, cultural insight and consumer understanding into innovative product, balancing design ambition with materials and manufacturing.

Typical Capabilities

Scope: Shapes footwear design across new creation and existing product expressions, owning distinctive creative work across the Energy portfolio while creating culturally relevant product for a distinct consumer.

Complexity: Navigates ambiguity across creative direction, consumer expectations and complex cross-functional teams, translating ideas into clear, executable product solutions. Actively coaches and mentors more junior professionals.

Problem Solving: Problems require independent judgment to develop and apply new concepts and solutions. Utilizes expertise and to understand complex issues and implications. Requires the consideration of multiple perspectives and future implications to determine solutions.

Knowledge & Skills: Provides thought leadership within own discipline and is recognized as a subject matter expert. Proactively identifies emerging cultural shifts, consumer behaviors and design opportunities, translating them into relevant footwear innovation and product expression. Capable of developing and implementing initiatives aligned to organization vision.  Participates in role specific research to provide awareness on external/market activity.

We offer a number of 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. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form.