Job Title: Footwear Material Designer
Location: Beaverton, OR (Onsite, 4/1 Hybrid)
Duration: 6 Months
About The Team
Design is where creative possibility meets purpose. It's a place for builders, boundary-breakers, and vision-setters people who move with conviction, think originally, and create work shaped by real experience and cultural depth. Our team thrives when imagination, discipline, and collaboration come together. We look for leaders who bring their full creative voice, who understand the communities that inspire us, and who are driven to shape the future for the next generation of athletes and fans.
Who Are We Looking For
We're looking for a Sr Manager, Footwear Material Design to combine their experience, problem solving abilities, and creativity to help build the future of Sport Footwear Material Design. The ideal candidate will elevate the consumer product experience by seamlessly integrating art, science, and streetwear culture into Sport leaning products. In this role, you will foster a deep emotional connection to our products by crafting compelling narratives and storytelling through innovative material concepts.
WHAT WILL YOU WORK ON
As the Sr Manager, Footwear Material Design, you will collaborate closely with leadership and cross-functional teams including Footwear Product Designers, Color Design, Developers, and Product Line Managers to advance innovative materials and manufacturing approaches on strategic projects. Your focus will be on shaping design direction and dimensional strategy, elevating existing materials, and pioneering new material concepts. As a recognized expert at both the product and collection level, you will translate consumer insights into compelling, trend and performance driven narratives. Success in this position depends on integrating design, development, and manufacturing to achieve product excellence. By leveraging research and a deep understanding of youth culture, color trends, fashion, art, and sports, you will help position the brand at the forefront of material innovation.
WHO WILL YOU WORK WITH
On a day-to-day basis you'll work closely with your design partners in product design, color design and graphic design. You will also work cross functionally with your technical and material development partners, product management and merchandising teams.
MUST-HAVE
" 8+ years of relevant design experience in advancing material design, textile design, or footwear design
" Ability to interpret consumer insights and translate them into compelling product narratives
" Skilled in concept creation and exploring material innovations and technologies
" Experience building inspiration presentations and mood boards for seasonal concepts
" Understanding of the Footwear Product Creation process
" Experience collaborating with manufacturing partners to ensure design intent and material execution
" Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
" Experienced with presentation programs: Keynote, PowerPoint, Acrobat, Miro etc.
" Strong presentation skills for small and large groups
" Highly organized and self-sufficient
NICE-TO-HAVE
" Ability to ideate using digital platforms (Gravity Sketch, CLO a plus)
" Experience creating 3D samples and hand mockups (a plus)
" Collaborative, positive, good listener, receptive to candid feedback and diverse points of view
" Passion for design, culture, and design excellence
" Speaks up with courage for self and the team
" Passion for and desire to learn people leadership
EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTIONS
" Bachelor's degree in design or equivalent education, experience, or training
" Bachelor's degree in design, art, or related field (fashion, product, industrial, accessory, footwear, or textile design); Master's degree accepted will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training.