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.
At Nike, design is more than what we make—it’s how we connect with athletes* and culture around the world. Our design community fuels innovation, challenges convention, and amplifies creativity across every category and function. We’re seeking a leader who can champion the people, practices, and culture that make Nike Design a global force for creativity.
Who we are looking for
The Senior Director of Design Community & Culture is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of creative organizations and the ecosystems that allow them to thrive. You are equal parts strategist, connector, and culture-builder, with the ability to inspire teams, develop and educate talent, strengthen belonging, and create programs that empower designers to do their best work. You thrive in complex, global environments and know how to translate vision into scalable systems that elevate creativity and community.
What you will work on
As Senior Director, you will be responsible for designing and leading initiatives that define and strengthen Nike’s design culture. You will:
- Create a vision and strategy to connect and inspire our creative community, through internal and external high impact programs that empower designers to do their best work at Nike.
- Build the plan and execute our internal Nike design team engagement and events, like Design Annual and quarterly Cafe Meetings.
- Champion Design Culture: Define, nurture, and evolve Nike Design’s culture, ensuring it is inclusive, inspiring, and aligned with Nike’s Design Vision and Values.
- Build Community: Develop programs, events, and platforms that connect Nike’s global design teams, fostering collaboration, development and education, inspiration, and shared identity, internally and externally.
- Lead Storytelling & Recognition: Partner with internal/external teams to showcase design excellence, celebrate creative achievements, and share the stories of our people.
- Advance Talent Development: Collaborate with HR, DEI, and Design leadership to shape career pathways, mentorship programs, and initiatives that support growth and belonging.
- Drive Global Creative Engagement: Create opportunities for designers to connect with external creative disciplines and sport communities to
- Partner with Design/Innovation/Product Business Integration leaders to embed best in class creative making (digital & craft) practices into design processes, ensuring impact for product excellence.
- Serve as a design thought leader, identifying trends and fostering creative exploration that positions Nike at the forefront of design and culture globally.
- Oversee BRS studio operations including resourcing, workflow, and prioritization of projects.
- Manage budgets, timelines, and project scopes in collaboration with project managers and production leads.
Who you will work with
You will report to the VP of Design Studio and closely connect to the Chief Design Officer who leads all aspects of the Design at Nike across the enterprise.
You will collaborate closely with senior leaders across Design, HR, DEI, Communications, and Nike’s broader creative functions and also external partners. You’ll also lead a team of community and culture specialists dedicated to delivering experiences that inspire and engage.
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What you will bring
Bachelor's degree in Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training
- At least 10+ years of experience in design, creative operations, community building, or organizational culture leadership—preferably in global, creative-led organizations.
- A proven track record of building thriving creative communities, designing engagement programs, and driving cultural impact at scale.
- Strong leadership, communication, and facilitation skills with the ability to inspire across levels and functions.
- Deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with experience embedding these principles into community and cultural programs.
- Ability to balance big-picture vision with operational execution in a fast-paced, global organization.
- Experience in product and manufacturing processes, and/or creative agency model
- Passion for creativity, design, and the cultural forces that shape sport, innovation, and lifestyle.
- Ability to take calculated risks to lead the brand into new territories
- Ability to think strategically about product and brand creation relevance and its impact to the larger brand
- A positive mentality with proven ability to flex and adapt to changing business needs while maintaining creative quality.
- A passion for the Athlete*, Sport* and Culture.
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.
