Design Director, Racquet Sports

Design Director, Racquet Sports | Chicago, IL (Hybrid)

At Wilson, we are here to empower every human to live like an athlete. Passion. Creativity. Integrity. Teamwork. Ambition. Innovation. These are the qualities that have made Wilson Sporting Goods Co. the number one sports equipment brand in the world. We come together to win, grow, and celebrate. We all play for Team Wilson. We all have a role to play within our organization and are working towards the same goal.

One team, one dream.

We believe that being an athlete isn’t something you do, it’s who you are. It’s a universal code of conduct, a way of seeing the world and how you show up every day. We seek out diverse voices and welcome all perspectives. Our team is composed of individuals with unique backgrounds, points of view and experiences. These perspectives create a rich and diverse culture in which we learn from one another through empathy and inclusion.

Evolving the sports world and being the best partner for players, athletes, and our community is no small task. We are continually looking to add enthusiastic, ambitious, team-first individuals who desire to make a difference — and who love to help others win. Together, we will create a better world through sport. Join us.

The Design Director, Racquet Sports is the creative leader for Wilson Tennis, Padel, and Pickleball equipment design. This is a hands‑on, on‑site design leadership role. You will personally concept and craft alongside your team while setting the design vision and leading its execution, shaping how the world's most iconic racquet sports brand looks, feels, and performs on court.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Define and own the design vision and creative direction for Tennis, Padel, and Pickleball across industrial design, graphic design, CMF, and on‑product brand expression, working in deep collaboration with your design team rather than directing from a distance
• Lead from the front: concept, sketch, and craft alongside your designers, setting the bar for craft through your own work and elevating the team's output through critique and creative mentorship
• Drive a concept‑forward design team focused on generating strong concepts, renders, and design intent, with the flexibility to explore and push creative direction
• Work closely with the Wilson Innovation team on industrial design, partnering from early‑stage technology exploration through productization to ensure new performance technologies are expressed through compelling, ownable design
• Explore new CMF applications: pioneer materials, finishes, decoration techniques, and surface technologies that differentiate Wilson on court and at retail, and build a CMF roadmap across the racquet sports portfolio
• Build a unified design language across the racquet sports portfolio that balances franchise distinctiveness (performance, tour, lifestyle tiers) with one unmistakable Wilson identity
• Partner directly with Wilson Footwear and Apparel design leadership to align silhouettes, graphics, color, and storytelling, ensuring a single, coherent Wilson design vision across equipment, footwear, and apparel
• Translate athlete insight, on‑court performance requirements, and global market dynamics (US, EMEA, APAC, China) into design strategy and seasonal direction
• Collaborate with Product Line Management and Engineering from brief through commercialization, protecting design intent through manufacturing constraints, cost targets, and factory execution
• Lead design reviews with executive leadership; present vision, rationale, and tradeoffs with clarity and conviction
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high‑performing multidisciplinary design team spanning industrial and graphic design
• Champion…