Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team
NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At NIKE, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.
WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH
You will collaborate with a broad network of partners across Product Creation, including Material Design, Product Management, Footwear Development, Engineering, Product Testing, Sourcing, Sustainability, Materials vendors, and manufacturing teams around the world. Success in this role requires strong communication, influence, and the ability to align teams around a shared vision.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Nike Training Footwear is entering an exciting phase of growth as we accelerate innovation, expand our product portfolio, and serve a broader range of athletes around the world. We are looking for a Lead Footwear Materials Developer to help shape the future of Training Footwear through material excellence, innovation, and strategic leadership.
This role is for a highly experienced materials professional who combines deep technical expertise with strong project leadership and cross-functional influence. You will lead material strategies that create distinctive athlete experiences while balancing performance, quality, sustainability, manufacturability, speed, and cost.
The ideal candidate is a curious problem solver, a collaborative leader, and a trusted partner who can navigate complexity, anticipate risks, and drive decisions that elevate both product and process. As a Lead Materials Developer, you will serve as a subject matter expert, mentor teammates, and help build the capabilities needed to support the future growth of the Training Footwear business.
- Bachelor’s degree in Materials, Chemistry, Product Development, Product Engineering, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.
- Passion for innovation, athlete-focused product creation and continuous improvement
- 6+ years’ directly applicable work experience
- Deep understanding of various material manufacturing processes, testing methods and commercialization and the product creation process
- Proven ability to lead complex material development and drive results through cross-functional teams.
- Excellent Analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
- Lab testing and ability to interpret results preferred
- Ability to balance multiple priorities, interpret design intent and offer alternative solutions
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Successful experiences mentoring or managing people
- Computer proficiency with working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Outlook…job required systems.
- Ability to travel up to 15% of the time
WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON
You will lead material development across a diverse portfolio of Training Footwear products Prime, Train and Recovery, from concept through commercialization.
Key responsibilities include:
- Define and drive material strategies that enable athlete-focused innovation and product distinction.
- Partner with Design, Product Management, Footwear Development, Engineering, Product Testing, PMO, PCC teams vendors and Manufacturing teams to bring concepts to life.
- Lead material selection, sourcing, validation, and commercialization to ensure material + product readiness and execution excellence.
- Drive material innovation opportunities that improve performance, sustainability, quality, and consumer value.
- Identify risks early and lead solutions across product creation, vendor and manufacturing partners.
- Influence material decisions that balance athlete needs, business objectives, and operational realities.
- Build strong partnerships with suppliers and manufacturing teams to accelerate speed and improve outcomes.
- Keep abreast of market trends, new technology and consumer and training industry knowledges.
- Mentor and develop teammates while contributing to the growth of the Materials Development function.
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.
OUR HIRING GAME PLAN
01 Apply
Our teams are made up of diverse skillsets, knowledge bases, inputs, ideas and backgrounds. We want you to find your fit – review job descriptions, departments and teams to discover the role for you.
02 Meet a Recruiter or Take an Assessment
If selected for a corporate role, a recruiter will reach out to start your interview process and be your main contact throughout the process. For retail roles, you’ll complete an interactive assessment that includes a chat and quizzes and takes about 10-20 minutes to complete. No matter the role, we want to learn about you – the whole you – so don’t shy away from how you approach world-class service and what makes you unique.
03 Interview
Go into this stage confident by doing your research, understanding what we are looking for and being prepared for questions that are set up to learn more about you, and your background.
