Footwear Designer

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

To design market-relevant products for the NAM consumer in partnership with marketing and development.

This role operates within a fast-paced, highly visible creation environment, often working on accelerated timelines outside of traditional development calendars. The Designer will combine strong creative execution with strategic thinking, commercial awareness, and ownership to identify and respond quickly to consumer and marketplace opportunities.

This role provides significant exposure to senior leadership and close partnership with Sales, Merchandising, Product, Development, and wholesale account partners, creating a strong development opportunity for a designer with future leadership potential.

Key Responsibilities  

• Design and develop creative, market-right solutions within a product range and present designs in context of the broader category and business direction.
• Implement the creative vision across assigned footwear projects while maintaining the visual language and design standards of adidas.
• Own and self-manage the creative process across multiple projects, including work operating on accelerated development timelines.
• Collaborate closely with Product Marketing, Development, Sales, Merchandising, and Design to quickly align around opportunities and drive decisions.
• Ensure efficient communication and workflow across the cross-functional team for all issues related to assigned ranges and products.
• Provide color, material, and graphic support across footwear projects and ranges as business needs require.
• Create accurate 2D and 3D tech packs.
• Contribute to tech pack handovers, submitting relevant information needed for the development process including 2D and/or 3D sketches, detail callouts, material maps, CADs and any supporting artwork.
• Present product concepts, design rationale, and product details clearly and confidently to cross-functional partners, senior leadership, and account partners when appropriate.
• Demonstrate strong ownership, curiosity, and initiative while contributing to the continued evolution of the team's creative and strategic capabilities.

Key Relationships 

• Design Director - CCP
• Product Operations (Development, Tooling, Pattern, Testing, and Costing)
• Color & Materials Design
• Product Marketing
• Sales & Merchandising

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of the NAM consumer, trends and marketplace.
• Strong knowledge and appreciation for performance and lifestyle footwear.
• Ownership mentality with the ability to independently drive products from concept through development.
• Background in footwear design, industrial design, and/or 3D Design.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and adapt quickly to changing business needs.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Knowledge and use of Macintosh computer design software/systems (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Experience and interest in adopting emerging design technologies such as Gravity Sketch, Vizcom, etc.
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally (10-15%).
• Fluent in English (spoken and written).

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Design, Industrial Design, Footwear Design, Fashion Design, or related field.
• Minimum 3 years of practical experience in a design environment, including Footwear, Apparel, Accessories, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience independently owning design projects and presenting creative work to cross-functional stakeholders.

• adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We actively encourage individuals with disabilities to apply and will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance. Employees are able to enroll in adidas’ 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 14 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on company performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
• At adidas we offer a Hybrid work policy which requires attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week. For work requiring a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation, in-office attendance is required even on Friday. The working location of this position is Portland, Oregon.
• Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.

adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.