Director of Innovation, Footwear Integration

Who You’ll Work With

As the lead of the Embedded Footwear Operations team within Nike’s Advanced Innovation Collective (AIC), you will lead and manage operational capabilities and execution in support of the Footwear Innovation organization’s portfolio. This leader works closely with a range of cross-functional teams including Product Creation, Materials, Design, and Cushioning Innovation to ensure products, capabilities, and enablers are ready for transition to the inline business functions. The Director of Innovation Footwear Operations role drives the overall footwear innovation end-to-end process, manages and curates the innovation portfolio, and serves as the chief of staff to the VP of Footwear Innovation. The role reports directly to the Senior Director of Operations, Portfolio & Activation within AIC and has three direct reports in support of the work.

Who We Are Looking For

• Navigate ambiguous situations with flexibility and creativity
• Communicate clear direction and hold teammates accountable to drive progress
• Understand, use, and manage emotions in a positive way when engaging with colleagues and leadership
• Work cross-functionally at the strategic level, while also diving into the details of the work when needed
• A minimum of 9 years directly relevant work experience
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, product development, operations management, or related field
• 5+ years of direct experience in a Consumer Product development and innovation organization, ideally in a people-leadership position
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence business partners across all organizational levels and functional backgrounds
• Experience leading teams composed of diverse skillsets; mentoring and fostering an environment of continuous learning and growth
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an ambiguous environment and navigating complex corporate structures
• Proven track record resolving complex business issues and making sound decisions
• Minimal travel, usually limited to no more than one domestic trip per year, and one international trip every 2-3 years

What You’ll Work On

• AMPLIFY THE FOOTWEAR PORTFOLIO, STRATEGY & OPERATING MODEL
• Provide a holistic view of the footwear portfolio (products, capabilities, and resources) with the ability to articulate clearly the aim and impact of the work via accurate data collection, visualization, and reporting. In partnership with the AIC Central Operations function, create and maintain portfolio-level reporting that provides visibility, simplifies complexity, and enables prioritization and decision making across the footwear innovation portfolio.
• OWN & ACTIVATE THE PROCESS
• Refine and evolve milestone meetings, intake processes, and program readiness check-ins. Develop a cadence and process for program-level data collection and customized portfolio reporting. This data is collected and used to determine seasonal workload distribution which is summarized and communicated to leadership on a quarterly cadence. Maintain consistent alignment with cross-functional partners and the Footwear Innovation leadership team, ensuring accurate portfolio detail, clear functional priorities, aligned resourcing needs, and project requests.
• DRIVE THE END-TO-END INNOVATION PRODUCT READINESS PROCESS
• Drive the end-to-end innovation product readiness process across the Footwear Innovation portfolio in support of collaboration and rigor.
• ELEVATE THE FUNCTION
• Support the Footwear Innovation VP and LT, serving in a chief of staff capacity. Set weekly and monthly agendas. Prioritize discussion and decision points. Integrate and connect external stakeholders and partners.
• Build, maintain, and regularly disseminate the master footwear innovation calendar, keeping everyone aligned to key gates and dates.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships and partnerships that amplify capabilities
• Connect with your peer leads in the NSRL, Apparel, and Digital teams to share and learn best practices
• Connect regularly with the Central Operations team who are responsible for creating consistencies across all functions in AIC, and ensuring alignment on priorities as needed