Director, Apparel Product Development Local Creation NA

Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At NIKE, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

The North America Local Creation (NALC) team creates distinctive, locally relevant product grounded in deep consumer, cultural, and hyperlocal insights. The team brings these insights to life through thoughtful, intentional product creation that serves athletes* and consumers across North America.

As the NA Local Creation Apparel Director, you will lead and inspire a cross-functional team, partnering closely with Design, Product Management, Sourcing, Sports, and other key functions to bring the NALC product vision to life. You will directly lead a team of Product and Material Developers, fostering strong collaboration, clear accountability, and excellence throughout the product creation process.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for an experienced and inspiring leader to help shape the future of North America Local Creation. This critical role will lead the NALC Apparel Development team and play a key role in defining and delivering our product excellence vision, strategy, and execution.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record of leading successfully across functions, cultures, geographies, and complex organizational environments. They bring an enterprise mindset, strong business and product acumen, and the ability to translate strategy into clear priorities and action. They understand how to balance consumer and athlete insights, product excellence, speed, and operational rigor to deliver industry-leading results.

This leader is also an authentic, inclusive, and highly effective people leader with demonstrated success building high-performing teams, developing talent, and coaching managers. They are comfortable operating within a matrixed organization, influencing without direct authority, and creating clarity in moments of ambiguity.

Above all, this leader brings teams together around a shared vision and mobilizes them to deliver exceptional product with speed, quality, relevance, and impact.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training.
• 9+ years of relevant apparel product creation experience
• Demonstrated success leading multi-level organizations, including people leaders, while driving alignment and results across cross-functional teams
• Proven experience creating and activating long term strategies by collaborating and working through others to achieve business results
• Ability to develop talent and build inclusive, high-performing teams
• Proven examples of results-orientation, problem solving, and cross functional collaboration
• Exceptional influence, communication, and stakeholder alignment skills
• Ability to lead effectively in complex, fast-paced, and evolving environments
• Experience in the apparel and/or footwear product testing, development, marketing, engineering, retail, customer service industry is preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 15-25% per year, domestically and internationally.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

In this role, you will serve as part of the NALC Leadership Team managing the Apparel and Material Development teams, responsible for leading refresh product across multiple Consumers x Sports and developing new competencies for the geography including new apparel creation (cut & sew). You will drive product excellence from initial concept through to commercialization and production and ensure the Product Development Team delivers on-time products according to critical dates, product specifications, sustainability, and profitability goals.

• Partner closely with cross-functional teams and global stakeholders to align strategy, priorities, and execution
• Lead and develop a team of developers, including people managers, while building future organizational capabilities and operating model
• Drive excellence across the product creation process, from concept through commercialization
• Apply workload management tools and metrics to help make data-informed decisions
• Translate organizational strategy into goals for the Apparel and Material Development teams that will deliver exceptional product for the North America consumer
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across the Apparel organization

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.