Senior Manager, NSW Graphic Design

Job Description

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, it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

The Nike Sportswear Graphics Team creates the future of sport by exploring the intersection of Fashion, Community, and Culture through authentic, narrative-driven graphic design. This team brings inspiration and innovation to some of the world’s biggest stages and the most passionate athletes all over the world.

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

You will work closely with the Apparel & Footwear Graphic Design Director and Product Leadership to help drive graphic strategy and vision while collaborating with multiple teams of designers, developers, and product managers to deliver creative work in line with the NSW ethos. From trims to print applications and cost considerations, you will work in tight collaboration with product and development to bring product to life. This opportunity will require strong collaborative skills to meet deadlines, ensure the feasibility of designs, and articulate the thinking behind your work to partners in leadership facing presentations. You will have multiple direct reports and lead the team through seasonal projects, while providing coaching and development.

WHAT WILL YOU WORK ON?

You will be responsible for leading a small team which is responsible for conceptualizing narratives across multiple collections through Graphic Visual Centers and Presentations. If this is you, you’ll be working with Product and Design partners aligning on construction, development, insights, and various presentation gates. A typical day / week consists of leading your Apparel and Footwear Design teammates to ensure we’re creating the future of sport / culture across NSW. This can range from brainstorm sessions on creative strategies to meetings designed to review graphics, apparel, footwear, materials and color design to achieve the desired goal.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking an experienced and visionary design leader to manage the Women’s Sportswear apparel and footwear graphics space. The ideal candidate has a high level of taste and understanding of modern fashion, streetwear and culture, an innate grasp of style and the ability to elevate Nike’s visual storytelling globally through compelling NSW narratives. Best in class competency in typography, design, illustration, conceptual thinking and end to end process excellence is a must.

To be considered, you must submit a creative design portfolio. Please provide website links or attach pdf files when you apply.

Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

8+ years' experience of graphic design, preferably in product creation or in an agency

Strong understanding of the competitive fashion, streetwear, and lifestyle brand landscape, with an ability to identify and translate cultural insights into differentiated product stories.

A well-curated portfolio showcasing a variety of projects that demonstrate a strong, effective methodology for research, inspiration, design development, problem-solving, process, and final execution.

Proven ability to lead, motivate, and mentor designers, fostering creative excellence and professional growth across multiple teams and categories.

When needed, acts as a proxy for the Design Director, representing the team’s creative vision and priorities across both Footwear and Apparel.

Provides direction and strategic design leadership for multiple categories, driving cohesive storytelling and seasonal alignment between product dimensions.

Oversees multiple reports, managing workload, setting priorities, and ensuring high quality design outcomes that meet seasonal goals and deadlines.

Partners with business, merchandising, and product creation teams to develop and deliver presentations that clearly communicate design intent and narrative to leadership and cross-functional partners.

Travels domestically and internationally to factories and vendor partners to review sampling, materials, and production execution, ensuring design integrity through to final product.

Deep understanding of the apparel and footwear product creation process and the role of graphics, trims, and branding in driving distinction and storytelling.

Expert narrative development and communication skills, including the ability to inspire and influence at all levels of the business.

The ability to remain curious, motivated, and optimistic while navigating ambiguity and adapting to change.

High degree of proficiency in Adobe Illustrator; proficiency in Adobe Photoshop. Digital design acumen in Adobe CC. Competency in 3D design, AI, and emerging design tools a major plus.

Demonstrated ability to collaborate and art direct freelance and external creative partners.

Manages freelance resources, external vendors, and budget allocations to ensure effective resourcing and creative impact.

Embraces diverse points of view and fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and empowering team environment.

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.