Lead Footwear Product Developer, NA Express Lane

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH 

As a member of the North America, Global Express Lane team, you will collaborate with key footwear functional partners: Color/Material Design, Material Development, Product Management, Partner PCC and PMO Teams, Global Lifestyle Product Teams, Global Sourcing and Planning, and Operations Teams. You’ll need to navigate the Nike matrix to ensure that our processes model and match Global Footwear Development standard methodologies for product excellence. You are the key point of contact between our PCC/PMO partners and WHQ product team and must ensure that communication during the product development process is complete, clear, and accurate. This role reports to the Footwear Development Director for North America, Global Express Lane. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR 

We are looking for a Lead Footwear Product Developer to be an integral part of our North America, Global Express Lane Footwear Product Creation Team and help drive product excellence for the North America consumer! As a Lead Footwear Product Developer, this person will provide project and process direction, within the project team, at an accelerated pace and close to market. The ideal candidate needs to have demonstrated project management, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in a product development environment. In addition, we are looking for people that are self-starters, quick learners, clear communicators, great teammates, and exhibit strong leadership skills. As a member of the North America, Global Express Lane team, this person will effectively build relationships, lead, and interact with teams across Nike Footwear Product Creation and with teams comprising of diverse cultures across various geographies. 

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON 

As a Lead Footwear Product Developer for North America, Global Express Lane, you will work on Lifestyle footwear models through color, material, and graphic applications, across Men’s, Women’s, and Kids. You will drive product and process excellence, within a collaborative team environment, for your assigned projects as well as converting a project brief and 2D design tech pack into a 3D footwear sample that meets the needs of the North America consumer and Express Lane business. 

We’re looking for you to apply your expert level knowledge and experience to improve product excellence, by identifying and addressing key issues and challenges in construction/manufacturing and engage in all phases of the product process to ensure projects are managed according to critical dates and completed on time, while meeting design intent, performance goals, costing/profitability, sustainability targets, and product integrity requirements. 

WHAT YOU BRING 

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Marketing, Business, Industrial Design, Engineering, Physical Sciences, or combination of relevant education, experience, and training 

• Minimum of 6+ years directly applicable Footwear Development or Engineering work experience across multiple footwear sports/styles. 

• Have a solid understanding of the tools supporting and tactically driving the footwear product creation process, best using subject matter experts in footwear lasts, upper patterns, materials, chemistry, bottom tooling, costing, test methodologies, and manufacturing. 

• Demonstrated critical experiences in Adopting and Driving Innovation through the INLINE Product Creation Process. 

• Demonstrated experience in Driving Product Initiatives and/or Strategy across the greater Footwear Dimensions and/or Divisions. 

• Outstanding High-profile communication and influencing skills, with the ability to champion sophisticated projects both cross-functionally and vertically with the organization, including senior leaders. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a keen awareness of the audience, knowing when to go deep into the details when warranted, and when to simplify the sophisticated. 

• A highly organized and resilient approach, a high tolerance for ambiguity, with an outstanding ability to seamlessly balance constantly evolving priorities. 

• A tried leadership Identity that nurtures partnership, instills trust, encourages, and empowers teammates/peers to ultimately deliver on product excellence. 

• Strong understanding of the creation process, including production planning, forecasting, and scheduling to deliver product quality in a timely, efficient, and effective way. 

• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time