Lead Designer, Footwear & Apparel Expression, Nike Basketball Signature Athlete

Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It’s a place where passionate individuals come together to create the future of sport. We are unapologetic about who we are and what we’re after—bringing innovation and inspiration to every athlete* in the world. We look for athletes who can push boundaries, elevate our potential and continue leading us to greatness. The next tastemakers, playmakers, risk takers and glue players. Are you game?

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for an exceptional Lead Designer, Footwear and Apparel Expression (Color, Graphics, Materials), who can bring experience, creative problem-solving, and a clear point of view to help shape what’s next for Nike Basketball.

Inspired by the signature athlete, you’ll help define the visual expression of Nike Basketball across footwear and apparel—bringing together sport, style, and performance in a modern, meaningful way. This role requires broad exploration, thoughtful curation, and a clear creative point of view.

The ideal teammate is a visionary designer with exceptional taste, a refined aesthetic perspective, and a deep commitment to craft. They pursue elevated solutions with a sharp eye for detail, proportion, and storytelling, creating products that resonate with consumers on and off the court. With strong cultural awareness and an understanding of emerging trends, they will shape distinctive expressions that raise the bar for creativity, desirability, and aesthetic excellence.

• Bachelor's degree in Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• At least 5-6 years in design or related field.
• Exceptional knowledge of design, art, and fashion, as well as passion for sport and youth culture
• Ability to translate consumer knowledge and insights into creative solutions and narratives.
• Ability to articulate design intent and strategy
• Strong Photoshop, Illustrator skills
• Solid 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.
• Contribute and align to shared team culture and behaviors
• Motivated and hardworking about bringing others along
• Collaborator with 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, YOU MUST PROVIDE A DESIGN PORTFOLIO (UPLOAD A PDF OR PROVIDE A URL AND PASSWORD IF APPLICABLE)

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

As a Lead Designer in Expression (Color Materials and Graphics) you will be working hand in hand with a large project team of different professionals (engineers, researchers, scientists, marketing, testing, sustainability, materials, costing, etc.), and collaborate within the design community (concept, footwear, apparel designers. This role reports directly to the Senior Design Manager, Footwear and Apparel Expression.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

Is that you? If so, you will be creating concepts and developments on a range of color, materials, graphic designs for the basketball signature athlete. You will work on elevating new techniques and narratives to influence new product expressions.

Your goal is to aim for product excellence by partnering with key stakeholders cross-functionally on the product creations process, and help bring the vision for the future of Nike Basketball products to life.

You will unleash creativity with a focus on industry leading design as well as leveraging consumer insights to inform our creative response. The daily responsibilities of this role are wide-ranging, ambitious, and dynamic.

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 .

NIKE, Inc. is a growth company that looks for team members to grow with it. Nike offers a generous total rewards package, casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and an electric atmosphere for professional development. No matter the location, or the role, every Nike employee shares one galvanizing mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

NIKE, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.