The Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) is a multidisciplinary team of researchers, innovators, and scientists who lead with science to make athletes* measurably better. We deliver proven insights and state-of-the-art capabilities to drive the future of Nike products and services. The NSRL Footwear Research team conducts research that provides insights leading to innovative footwear and measurable benefits for athlete. We apply scientific and research results to drive new footwear concepts and performance hypotheses across multiple innovation teams.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

In this role, you will partner with internal stakeholders such as researchers within the Nike Sport Research Lab, Innovation Footwear Product Creation teams, Brand, and Inline dimension/category teams. Externally, you will work with research partners (academic and industrial) to continue Nike’s leadership position in the science of sport and making athletes* better.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a Principal Researcher to lead the research vision, strategy, and implementation for footwear in court sports (primarily Basketball). The highest-level objective of this research is to deeply understand footwear attributes that can either provide a measurable performance benefit or protect athletes from injury during court sports.

The Basketball Principal Researcher will work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and innovators within Nike Innovation. A successful candidate will:

• Be tasked to create and lead a robust research agenda aimed at gathering, proving, and applying objective insights to drive new footwear concepts and prototypes across different innovation teams.
• Direct a team to conduct cutting-edge, independent biomechanics research focusing on athletes of all levels.
• Lead as a creative scientist, questioning methods, results and applications.
• Think outside normal paradigms to find creative ways around barriers to enhancing performance or preventing injury.
• Seek innovative ways to perform research and develop new data collection and analytical tools.
• Display an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Mentor other researchers.

A successful candidate will demonstrate at an expert level:

• Skills and ability to conduct research and apply scientific insights, specifically related to sport biomechanics, performance, and injury.
• Knowledge of the scientific method, including but not limited to: observation, formulation of testable hypotheses, experimental design, statistical methods, and analysis and intepretation of results.
• Ability to apply scientific insights to influence innovative Basketball footwear.
• Understanding of, and ability to use and troubleshoot all existing tools commonly used for biomechanical analyses.
• Ability to develop new tools and/or methods for answering scientific inquiry.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific topics to a diverse, non-technical audience.

What you bring:

• Master’s degree in human movement science (biomechanics, kinesiology), engineering, biomedical engineering, or ergonomics. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
• Proven track record leading a scientific research team.
• Proven track record of conducting novel lateral movement, jumping, gait, and/or basketball biomechanics research.
• Deep understanding of basketball footwear properties related to athlete performance and protection is desirable.
• Experience applying science to footwear or product development is desirable.
• Experience dealing with multiple business units and functional groups is desirable.
• Experience working with elite and/or professional athletes is desirable.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

In this role, you will:

• Develop and direct a portfolio of research projects for Basketball footwear, managing both internal cross functional teams and external research partners and programs.
• Conduct research to discover new insights into how footwear can improve performance or help prevent injuries.
• Apply research insights across the NRSL and Footwear Product teams to create novel and innovative footwear for Basketball and applications.
• Ensure scientific integrity of footwear during the concept briefing, product development, and commercialization phases.
• Lead as an innovative scientist by exploring creative solutions to performance or injury prevention. 
• Communicate scientific information, methods, and findings clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical teams, stakeholders, and senior management.
• Advocate for NSRL performance and protection research, and actively disseminate new ideas, insights, and concepts across multiple business groups, garnering support and concensus. 
• Actively seek new technologies, scientific research and methodological opportunities, trends, and vulnerabilities.

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.