Footwear Design Director, Nike Basketball Signature Athlete
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
As our Footwear Design Director for Nike Basketball Signature Athlete, you will direct the creation of industry-leading footwear bringing bold concepts to life. You will solve complex design challenges and create iconic products that inspire through both function and form.
Inspired by the signature athlete, you will help define a new visual language for Nike Basketball - one that expresses sport through style, performance, and modern design. This role requires both creative ambition and strategic focus, partnering across a global brand to build scalable design systems and advance creative innovation.
The ideal candidate is a visionary designer with exceptional taste, a refined aesthetic point of view, and an unwavering commitment to craft. They bring a sharp eye for detail, proportion, materiality, and execution, consistently delivering elevated design solutions. Through strong creative leadership, they will develop compelling products that resonate emotionally with consumers both on and off the court.
With a deep understanding of cultural relevance, consumer insights, and emerging trends, this individual will continually challenge industry conventions and set a high standard for creativity, desirability, and aesthetic excellence.
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training
- 10+ years working in Design or related field
- Exceptional knowledge of design, art, and fashion, as well as passion for sport and youth culture
- Expert knowledge of form, color, materials, human factors, related to elevating the consumer experience
- Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into product solutions and narratives
- Experience in technical footwear design - basketball design 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
- Expert knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials
- Must be able to generate a broad range of concepts and solutions for each project
- Experienced with presentation programs: Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, etc.
- Positive personality and energy
- 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
- Lead + drive partnerships beyond the Design function (Marketing, Engineering, Development, etc.)
- 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
- Being a hooper is not a requirement but being passionate and curious to learn about basketball and the athlete* is.
*If you have a body, you are an athlete
**TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE SUBMIT A FOOTWEAR DESIGN FOCUSED PORTFOLIO (PDF OR URL ON RESUME WITH PASSWORD PROVIDED IF APPLICABLE)
WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH You will collaborate and mentor within the design community (concept designers, industrial designers, materials, color, graphics, computational, etc.), and work hand in hand with a large project team of different professionals (product managers, developers, researchers, marketing, costing, etc.). This role reports directly the Sr Creative Director, Kobe Brand + Nike Basketball. You will also manage a Lead Footwear Designer.
WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON
Not included in the source posting: what you'll do, qualifications, benefits.
Who can apply
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