Lead Designer, Apparel Graphics Local Creation APLA

Nike's Local Creation APLA team enables NIKE to connect more quickly and authentically with our consumer. The Local Creation team allows us to shorten the product creation timeline to a few weeks from concept to when a product hits stores. This is a competitive advantage as it allows us create product with flexibility and speed and ultimately better serve our consumer. We are looking for candidates who are flexible, entrepreneurial, and are hyper connected to our consumer. Local Creation is an incubator and catalyst for design and product talent to accelerate.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Individuals that can create emotional connections and deliver a graphic vision for the Asia Pacific & Latin American consumer through the use of art, craft and storytelling. Your entrepreneurial spirit will help bring to life close to market trend-relevant seasonal creative direction at the product and collection level. You will leverage graphics, typography, illustration, color and trim to deliver an elevated consumer relevant brand point of view in the marketplace through strategic vision, design direction, storytelling and editing. In addition, you will mentor designers on the team, collaborate with key partners, create in a fast-paced closer to market environment and make informed design and application decisions with efficiency and agility, while keeping costing targets in mind.

Key Competencies:

• Delivers results in a fast-paced environment

• Champion and Embrace Change

• Makes good decisions / thinks strategically

• Leads & influences others

• High-level communicator and presenter

• Contributes special expertise in Graphic Design, Typography and Illustration

• Cultivates innovation

• Leads collaboration with cross-functional partners

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

Partner with Local Creation Design and Product teams for in-depth APLA consumer, key city and marketplace insights. Develop trend relevant closer to market product narratives and obsess storytelling, the details and share the “why” behind the work. Drive an elevated degree of art and graphic excellence through composition, illustration and typography in line with the Nike Design Ethos and Brand Guidelines. Support projects that span multiple consumers across performance and lifestyle for various sport dimensions. Partner with cross-functional teams throughout product creation process to deliver against closer-to-market dates & gates (APLA Design, Global Design, Footwear Development, Material Development, Product Managers). Ability to adapt to change and adjust quickly based on marketplace shifts, market trend and business opportunities. Plan and execute product details, and review all samples, troubleshoot achievability issues, and clearly communicate changes to ensure timely completion of each project (follows CAD Excellence Standards in Color and Materials), while embracing ambiguity and simplifying complexity.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

• APLA Apparel Graphics and Footwear Color and Material Designers

• Local Creation Design counterparts in other Geos (NA, GC, EMEA)

• Global Product Graphic Designers

• Cross-functional Partners — Development and Product Managers

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design or related field.

  Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training

• 7+ years of apparel or product graphics experience

• Experience in fashion, sportswear, streetwear, apparel, footwear, or print/pattern preferred

• Candidates with authentic APLA cultural connections (Korea, Japan, Mexico, Latam, India or SEA), language skills, and cut-and-sew experience are highly preferred.

• Proven graphic design, illustration and typography expertise.

• Passion and understanding of current and emerging design trends and visual culture.

• Ability to translate insights into authentic narratives and visual storytelling.

• Ability to adapt to change and prioritize multiple, competing priorities.

• Professional visual and verbal communication skills, able to effectively present design intent to internal and external audiences.

• Passion for design craft, innovation, graphic applications, prints, processes and tools.

• Solid knowledge of apparel product creation and building accurate tech packs.

• Proficient in Adobe CC and comfortable working within new digital spaces.

• Passion for leadership, mentoring and coaching.

• Ability to embrace varying points of view while fostering an environment of inclusivity and diversity.

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.