Lead Footwear Developer - Nike by You

About the Role

Nike by You empowers athletes and consumers to personalize product through color, material, and embellishment choices, creating one-of-one footwear that reflects their individual point of view and personal style. As a Lead Footwear Developer, you will join the Nike by You Product Development team and partner closely with key footwear functions including Color and Material Design, Product Management, PCC/PMO, Digital Product Creation, Sourcing, Planning, and Operations. You will navigate Nike’s matrixed environment to ensure alignment with Global Footwear Development, engineering, and materials standards for product excellence.

Serving as the primary liaison between PCC/PMO partners and the PHK product team, you will drive clear, accurate communication throughout the product development process.

Responsibilities

• Lead footwear product development projects at an accelerated pace, through all phases of product creation and support the digital team for digital product expression.
• Provide project and process direction within cross-functional product creation teams.
• Drive innovation and product initiatives across footwear dimensions and divisions.
• Leverage deep technical knowledge across lasts, uppers, materials, tooling, costing, engineering, testing, and manufacturing.
• Evaluate and evolve processes in engineering and/or material development to bring elevated products to the Nike by You consumer.
• Drive product and process excellence across assigned projects, ensuring projects deliver against design intent, performance, cost, sustainability, timing expectations, and digital expression while meeting consumer needs.
• Develop Nike footwear through color, material, and graphic execution.
• Solve construction and manufacturing challenges proactively.
• Manage projects through all phases to meet critical dates.
• Balance design, performance, cost, sustainability, digital expression, and product integrity.
• Partner cross-functionally to deliver consumer-relevant product.
• Partner with the digital team to create a compelling online customization experience for consumers.
• Build strong partnerships across global, culturally diverse teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve the product creation process and help evolve new standards for speed, clarity, and execution excellence.
• Travel up to 15% as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, material development, engineering, physical sciences, or related field. Any suitable combination of education, experience, and training will be considered.
• 6+ years of Footwear Product Creation experience.
• Background in engineering, material development, and footwear product testing is a plus.
• Demonstrated project management, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in a product development environment.
• Strong leadership with a high tolerance for ambiguity and changing priorities.
• Ability to communicate effectively across functions, geographies, and leadership levels.
• Motivated and driven self-starter with strong decision-making skills.
• Balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution to deliver product excellence.