WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH 

You will report directly to the Director of Vendor Partnerships & Innovation in the newly formed Vendor Strategy & Business Management organization. You will work closely with peers in Vendor Strategy, Performance Management, Business Management, and stakeholders in the Global Domain teams alongside functional partners in Legal, Finance, CIS, and Procurement. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR 

We’re looking for a Lead, Vendor Partnerships & Innovation to join our dynamic, high-performing team focused on emerging technologies, e.g., new market capabilities or AI/GenAI, with both existing and new partners. These initiatives involve some of our most strategic existing partners for NIKE as well evaluating new capabilities, risk, and potential when exploring new partners. This role is crucial for driving the success and progress of our strategic initiatives, with the goal of accelerating growth and delivering exceptional value to Nike shareholders and Nike athletes*. 

The ideal candidate will be an experienced professional with a strong background in technology and innovation, particularly in startups and emerging technologies. As an individual contributor, you will be responsible for managing relationships with emerging technology partners, ensuring we capitalize on advancements while maintaining IP protection, confidentiality, and compliance with Nike standards.  

Requirements: 

• MBA or Master's Degree preferred in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or similar field, or relevant professional experience, education, and training; advanced degree preferred  

• Vendor Management & Commercial Contracts: proven experience in evaluating, driving commercial plans that inform negotiations, or managing vendor agreements or POCs 

• Technical Acumen: good understanding of technology landscapes, including AI/GenAI, IoT, and other emerging technologies or SaaS platforms 

• Industry Expertise: ability to conduct in-depth market research and analyze technology trends, identifying opportunities to integrate emerging technologies into technical roadmaps 

• Strategic Thinking: ability to translate problem statements and align technology partners with long-term business strategies 

• Stakeholder Engagement: effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders 

• Excellent communication: ability to convey technical solutions and vendor capabilities to both technical and non-technical stakeholders 

• Relationship Management: proven success in managing long-term relationships with key technology partners and vendors 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: ability to effectively work cross-functionally with Engineering, Product Legal, Privacy, and CIS teams 

• Agility & Innovation: demonstrated ability to think creatively and thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments 

• Executive Presence: excellent presentation and storytelling skills, capable of articulating a compelling vision to executive leadership  

• Product Management experience would be nice to have - we don't need an engineer, but experience working with a technology team / technology product team would be helpful

• Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time