Senior Material Designer, Global Tennis Footwear, Nike

This role is for a Senior Footwear Materials Designer focused on Tennis Footwear  designer will collaborate with Nike’s Footwear Industrial Design, Colour Design, Graphic Design, Digital Design, Marketing, and Development teams to bring seasonal creative direction to life through innovative footwear materials. They will join an expression team that includes one colour designer, two product designers, and an Expression Design Director, and will report directly to the Expression Design Director.

The role spans concepting and ideation through finalizing tech packs, collaborating with manufacturing partners, and occasionally engaging directly with athletes.

• Own the material craft: concept, sample, and specify uppers/tooling using cutting edge processes (engineered knits, films, laminates, textiles, coatings, synthetics/leather) while curating and elevating carryover materials for refreshes and collection models.
• Collaborate across the offense: partner daily with Footwear Design, Colour, Product Development, PLM, Engineering, Sustainability, and factory/LO teams to align performance, cost targets, and calendar gates—building trusted relationships that move work forward.
• Translate ideas to tech packs: deliver impeccable BOMs, finishes, callouts, test methods, and construction details; drive readiness at each creation milestone and troubleshoot for manufacturability with vendors.
• Bring athlete and consumer voice into the work: synthesize athlete feedback, wear test and lab data into material decisions—and at times meet directly with athletes and Sports Marketing to validate feel, fit, and durability.
• Tackle complex problem solving: navigate sample builds, root cause issues (abrasion, flex, peel/delam), and corrective actions; anticipate risks and build mitigation plans that protect quality and timelines.
• Drive clear and effective communication across cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment on material strategies and timelines.
• Translate complex material concepts into concise, actionable information for stakeholders at all levels.
• Champion clarity in documentation, presentations, and reporting to support informed decision-making.

• Submission of a creative design portfolio (website links or PDF files) is required to be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree in fashion, textiles, or industrial design or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years' experience in material design, textile design, fashion design, product design, industrial design, accessory or footwear design, preferably in product creation or in an agency.
• Ability to translate consumer insights and performance data into compelling narratives and product execution.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills tailored for diverse audiences.
• Ability to simplify technical details into clear, inspiring narratives that foster collaboration.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build trust and transparency across teams.