WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

As part of the Global Express Lane team, this role partners closely with cross-functional footwear stakeholders, including Color/Material Design, Product Development, Product Management, PCC, PMO, and Operations. The position navigates Nike’s matrixed environment to align processes with Global Footwear Materials Development standards, enabling sound decision-making. You’ll act as the primary vendor contact for category-specific issues and serve as the main liaison between vendors and the footwear product team, ensuring clear, accurate communication throughout development.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking a Senior Materials Developer to play a critical role on the North America Express Lane Footwear Product Creation Team, driving materials excellence at an accelerated, close-to-market pace. This role combines deep technical expertise with strong leadership and communication skills to support informed, consumer- and category-led decision making. You will deliver material tools, palettes, and data across multiple material platforms to enable efficient, effective material selection for end use. Acting as a trusted partner across Nike Footwear Product Creation, you will clearly present facts, insights, and solutions that balance design intent, performance, cost, and sustainability goals. As part of the Global Express Lane team, you will build strong cross-functional and cross-geography relationships, navigating a fast-paced, matrixed environment. This role requires a self-starter who can manage complexity, anticipate risks, and lead material strategies from concept through commercialization, ensuring products are ready for scalable manufacturing.

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials, Chemistry, Product Development, Product Engineer, Manufacturing, Marketing, Industrial Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training
• 5+ years of relevant experience, with demonstrated leadership capabilities
• Lead materials development from concept through commercialization, ensuring on-time delivery
• Drive functional and cross-geo material strategies (e.g., palettes, sustainability, PCX)
• Apply strong knowledge of footwear materials, manufacturing processes, and technologies
• Balance design intent, performance, cost, and sustainability requirements
• Collaborate and influence across cross-functional and global teams

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

As part of Nike’s Materials Development function and the Global Express Lane team, this role applies deep materials expertise to drive functional excellence and material readiness, with a strong focus on execution, sourcing, cost, quality, and sustainable solutions that support product excellence for athletes and consumers.

Key Focus Areas

• Drive material creation, sourcing, and readiness across footwear
• Balance cost, quality, performance, and sustainability
• Collaborate closely with vendors and product creation partners
• Set seasonal material direction aligned to business needs
• Ensure on-time delivery and execution excellence
• Support high-quality, consumer- and athlete-focused products

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.