Innovation is oxygen for NIKE, Inc., and the company depends on its talented, global workforce to breathe originality and curiosity into everything they do. The Nike Advanced Innovation team strives for lighter, faster, bigger, smarter, smaller, more efficient, more sustainable and more personal. They imagine, research, analyze and invent the next industry-changing technology to advance athletic performance. In roles that span research, design, materials and manufacturing, the Advanced Innovation team looks to the future and focuses on making the seemingly impossible, possible.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

The candidate will report directly to the Korea Innovation Director of Product Development, located in Busan, Korea. They will work alongside Innovation Project Leaders and individual contributors with expertise in various engineering disciplines, including Product, Tooling, Pattern, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Costing, Sustainability, Knit Engineering, Robotics, Process Optimization, and Product Development. Primarily, the candidate will collaborate with Nike and its manufacturing partner teams in Korea, while also having opportunities to work with teams across Asia and the USA.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

NIKE, Inc. is searching for a curious and driven Lead Innovator, NXT Footwear to join their team in Busan, South Korea. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience and a thorough understanding of Footwear Development & Manufacturing processes. They should also be adept at thinking outside the box to develop innovative solutions that streamline manufacturing and enhance performance and footwear fit. A self-starter, flexible thinker, and effective communicator, the candidate must be comfortable working cross-functionally and capable of influencing diverse personalities and perspectives. These skills are essential for collaborating across the Innovation team and various functions within Nike's matrixed organization. Proficiency in program management, an innovation mindset, data-driven decision-making, creativity, and the ability to challenge conventional methods are highly valued.

In addition to skills in project management, effective communication, material knowledge, fundamentals in footwear manufacturing, and understanding of footwear testing, we look for candidates who are strong team players, creative problem solvers, agile learners, and people leaders who can work through ambiguity and competing priorities to successfully deliver results.

• Bachelor's degree in a Business, Design, Engineering, or related field with a minimum of 6 years of experience in footwear product engineering, manufacturing, or development.
• Experience in using software in Microsoft Office, Adobe, 3D viewer, Air Table, Miro etc.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple engineering workstreams simultaneously.
• Proven storytelling and influencing skills to engage and influence others, create impact, drive consensus, and align stakeholders. 
• Strong collaborator with external and internal partners to manage competing priorities.
• Demonstrated verbal and written English communication and storytelling skills to clearly articulate goals and objectives and facilitate meetings

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

As a Lead Innovator, you will be responsible for:

• Navigating ambiguity and deliver disruptive innovations that bring new performance benefits within our goals for performance, manufacturability, cost, and sustainability.
• Be the connective voice across multi-functional teams from WHQ (World Headquarter), development centers, and manufacturing centers.
• Working with these multi-functional teams to drive product and process excellence from initial idea to into physical samples, inclusive of performance and manufacturing validation, while maintaining the vision and design intent.
• Collaborating with product development, functional engineering, material and chemical teams to commercialize product innovations.
• Collaborating with engineers and visual communicators to create comprehensive presentations and documentation.
• Developing, leading, and implementing high-profile program development initiatives and processes.