Senior Material Designer, Global Tennis Footwear, Nike

Saved job description

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

You will collaborate with Nike’s Footwear Industrial Design, Color Design, Graphic Design, Digital Design, Marketing, and Development teams to bring seasonal creative direction to life through innovative footwear materials. You’ll join an expression team that includes one color designer, two product designers, and an Expression Design Director.

This role reports directly to the Expression Design Director.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Footwear Materials Designer who combines industry experience, problem-solving skills, and creativity to shape the future of Tennis Footwear at Nike.

To be considered, you must submit a creative design portfolio. Please provide website links or attach pdf files when you apply.

Bachelor’s degree in fashion, textiles, or industrial design or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

5 + years' experience of material design or 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.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You’ll work on a wide range of Nike Tennis products—from top athletic moments to core franchises. Your role spans concepting and ideation through finalizing tech packs, collaborating with manufacturing partners, and occasionally engaging directly with athletes. Expect a dynamic mix of challenges and rewards as you:

Own the material craft: You 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: You partner daily with Footwear Design, Color, 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: You deliver impeccable BOMs, finishes, callouts, test methods, and construction details; you drive readiness at each creation milestone and troubleshoot for manufacturability with vendors.

Bring athlete and consumer voice into the work: You 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: You navigate sample builds, root cause issues (abrasion, flex, peel/delam), and corrective actions; you 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.

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 .