Lead Graphic Designer, Nike Design Strategy & Initiatives

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

This role sits within the Design Strategy and Initiatives team, a center of excellence focused on elevating Nike Design across a wide range of creative and strategic projects. The team partners closely with the Chief Design Officer and Design Leadership, operating as an internal studio that delivers both internal and external work across the organization.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Nike is seeking a Lead Graphic Designer with a strong foundation in graphic design and experience working across multiple mediums, including graphics, art direction, editorial, motion, and spatial design. This individual moves seamlessly between concept and execution—setting direction, staying hands-on, and elevating the work of others through clear thinking, strong design perspective, and collaborative leadership.

The ideal candidate brings strategic insight into how design communicates ideas, builds culture, and shapes perception. This role operates comfortably in ambiguity, brings structure to evolving briefs, and leads creative conversations across diverse, cross-functional teams.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will translate creative strategy and bold ideas into visual design, art direction, and storytelling across the Nike Design organization. Your work will span two distinct modes: internal and external.

Internally, you will help shape product branding direction, cultural programs, and industry partnerships. Externally, you will contribute to how Nike Design shows up in the world through publications, activations, editorial content, and key brand moments.

You will lead visual concepting and execution across projects, develop graphic systems and visual identities, and collaborate with cross-functional partners. You will present work to Senior Leadership and manage projects from brief through delivery. In this role, you will use your experience in creative direction, art direction, and storytelling to elevate how Nike Design thinks, works, and expresses itself globally.

Key qualifications include:

• 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. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training

• 7+ years of professional experience in design within brand, editorial, or agency environments.

• A strong graphic design foundation paired with strategic thinking—you understand not only how design looks, but what it is intended to achieve.

• Demonstrated expertise across multiple design disciplines, including art direction, motion, graphic design, creative strategy, and spatial design.

• A passion for sport, culture, and the role design plays in shaping both.

• A strong portfolio that demonstrates range across visual systems, editorial, brand identity, storytelling, and world-building.

• Excellent verbal and visual communication skills, with the ability to clearly present and articulate creative decisions to senior stakeholders.

• Ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, effectively managing time and resources to deliver high-quality creative output.

• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities while maintaining attention to detail and quality under pressure.

• Curiosity about design culture, creative technology, and emerging directions in the industry.

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.