Principal Materials Developer, Palette Management - Leather

PRINCIPAL FOOTWEAR MATERIALS DEVELOPER, PALETTE MANAGEMENT

NIKE WHQ – BEAVERTON, OR

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

We are looking for a Principal Footwear Developer who will work collaboratively with key functional partners throughout the Product Development process.  This includes Footwear Engineering, Footwear Product Testing, Footwear Material Design and Material Development, Product Design, Product Management, Product Merchandising, Sourcing and Operations, and our overseas partners – both within Nike and external to Nike.

You will need to navigate the Nike matrix to ensure that our processes model and match Nike’s Footwear Development standard methodologies for product excellence. You are the key point of contact for our overseas partners and ensure that communication during the product development process is clear and accurate.

As part of the Footwear Material Development Palette team, they will partner with cross functional material stakeholders including Material Design, Product, Sustainable Product, Material Supply Chain, and Innovation to inform near-term and long-range material strategies for Nike Footwear. They will also collaborate heavily with external material stakeholders driving Nike’s needs through our partners.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The Product Brief is the first spark of a product idea sets the Footwear Product Creation team into motion. The team of Footwear Developers, Testers, Engineers and Designers collectively strive for product excellence in every way. They obsess over smallest of details, while collaborating, ideating and refining product construction, performance, fit and style. They use groundbreaking advancements in technology, sustainable design and materials to accelerate innovation. And they work lockstep with Marketing, Design, Materials, Testing, and Manufacturing to produce products that reflect the soul of Nike, that inspire and ultimately enable our athletes to reach all new levels of performance. The ideal candidate needs to be a creative problem solver and forward thinker with the ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders. We are looking for someone who is a self-starter, self-aware, pragmatic & optimistic, embraces change, is accountable for their decisions and actions, will actively seek feedback, values and respects the opinions of their teammates, and embraces the diversity of people, ideas, and cultures.

As a member of the Nike Footwear Materials Development team, you will inform, drive and facilitate decisions throughout the product creation process to meet or exceed the design vision, athlete performance and product excellence. You will be an active thought partner with Design, Product Management, Engineering, Materials, and Factory Product Creation Teams to develop processes and tools that push boundaries and create solutions that support the creation of Nike’s game changing footwear products.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Product Development or Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Industrial Design or equivalent combination of education, experience or training
• Minimum of 10 years directly applicable work experience
• High profile communication and influencing skills, including the ability to interact with leadership and cross functional product creation team members
• Knowledge of footwear manufacturing technologies and equipment, tooling, and materials is highly preferred
• Understanding of product planning, forecasting, and process planning with strong communication skills

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

We are seeking a Principal Footwear Developer, who will drive and lead our end-to-end product creation process, including sampling and prototyping across geographies. You will be passionate about achieving the ultimate goal of timely manufacturability of quality and crafted, tested and validated, sustainable and efficient products, that meet or exceed our performance criteria and design intent. You will utilize your expert level of footwear technical knowledge to drive Product Creation Teams through 3D Prototyping, Bottom Tooling, Upper Patterns, Mold Design, Chemical, Materials, Costing, and Manufacturing to achieve project objectives in an efficient, effective, sustainable, and timely way.

• Research current state of Footwear Materials and our supply chain looking for opportunities for material consolidation to drive efficiency while retaining a resilient supply base.
• Help lead the creation of critical new and innovative alternative materials to address key strategic needs for Nike Footwear, partnering with innovation and product teams as needed to land new concepts. After initial developments you will help inform and influence the scaling of those materials throughout Footwear product.
• Analyse and present data to inform and support strategic plans for new materials and material consolidation.
• Leverage your knowledge of material composition and production processes, and upstream and downstream supply chains to help access vendor capabilities, influence vendor process, and inform strategies around material projects and vendor partnerships.
• Serve as an as an expert consultant across Footwear Material and Product Creation to influence better material choices in Footwear product.

#MYNEXT: Be Empowered to Grow within Nike and Create the Future

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

NIKE, Inc. is a growth company that looks for team members to grow with it. Nike offers a generous total rewards package, casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and an electric atmosphere for professional development. No matter the location, or the role, every Nike employee shares one galvanizing mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.

NIKE, Inc. is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.