Manager, Footwear Graphics Designer, Local Creation GC
Nike · Shanghai
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, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.
Nike Local Creation GC is one of the fastest product engines at Nike, enabling designers to connect with geo-specific consumers quickly and effectively. Reporting to the Local Creation Design organization, this role focuses on creating inspiring products tailored to specific marketplaces and geographic audiences, capturing fast-moving trends and delivering regionally relevant narratives with flexibility and speed. Local Creation team's mission is to amplify and incubate new ideas while driving and extending consumer favorites, serving local consumers with executions that offer greater relevance and immediacy. We seek a candidate who embodies our values of authenticity, accountability, collaboration, and courage—someone eager to grow, challenge themselves, and act independently as a self-driven contributor.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for a Manager, Footwear Graphic Design, Local Creation GC to lead a team responsible for creating culturally relevant, consumer-driven graphic expression across GC footwear.
This role combines advanced graphic design capability with first-line people leadership. The successful candidate will establish clear priorities, guide seasonal graphic direction, manage team workload and development, and ensure the team delivers strong creative work through the full product creation process.
The Manager is accountable for both the quality of the work and the environment in which the work is created. They must be able to move between creative direction, project management, cross-functional alignment, coaching, and detailed product review.
WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH
This is a people manager role reporting to the Design Director, Footwear Design, Local Creation GC.
You will collaborate with:
GC Footwear and Apparel Design, Color & Materials, and Graphics
GC Product Management, Merchandising, Development, and Marketing
Performance category and sport partners
Global and Geo Design counterparts
Legal and intellectual property partners
Material developers, vendors, manufacturers, and external creative partners
Consumer insights and marketplace teams
Design Integration and digital workflow partners
You’ll also engage with external vendors and suppliers to bring your designs to life, ensuring alignment with Nike’s brand standards and regional consumer expectations.
WHAT YOU BRING
Education:
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Graphic Design, Communication Design, Illustration, Footwear Design, Fashion Design, or a related field preferred.
Equivalent combinations of education, experience, and professional training will be considered
Experience and Capabilities:
Typically 5 to 7 years of relevant design experience.
Demonstrated experience leading designers, project teams, or creative workstreams.
A portfolio demonstrating advanced graphic design, visual storytelling, product application, and execution.
Strong knowledge of typography, illustration, branding, print, pattern, trims, color, composition, and graphic systems.
Strong understanding of footwear expression, graphic application methods, manufacturing, and commercialization.
Experience creating or directing artwork from initial concept through production-ready execution.
Strong understanding of Greater China consumers, visual culture, marketplace signals, and emerging creative communities.
Ability to establish priorities and manage multiple projects across compressed timelines.
Ability to coach, give actionable feedback, and build individual and collective capability.
Strong presentation, facilitation, and stakeholder communication skills.
Working knowledge of legal and intellectual property considerations in product graphics.
Advanced proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Experience with 3D and AI-enabled visualization tools such as Vizcom, and collaborative tools such as Miro.
Ability to travel as required by the role.
WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON
As the Manager, Footwear Graphic Design, Local Creation GC, you will:
Lead the GC Local Creation footwear graphic design team across assigned seasonal, city, cultural, sport, and marketplace opportunities.
Translate global creative direction and GC consumer insight into clear team priorities and footwear graphic strategies.
Guide the creation of original graphics, branding systems, trims, prints, patterns, engineered artwork, and product storytelling.
Establish clarity around briefs, project scope, creative standards, workload, timelines, decision rights, and deliverables.
Review work at key stages and give clear creative feedback that improves concept, craft, consumer relevance, and execution.
Ensure graphic concepts are appropriate for footwear construction, materials, production methods, cost, legal requirements, and commercial timelines.
Partner with GC Footwear Color & Material Design to create integrated rather than isolated product expressions.
Connect footwear and apparel graphic partners when a head-to-toe or collection-level expression is required.
Lead alignment with Product Management, Development, Merchandising, Marketing, and Design leadership.
Manage team and individual goals, development conversations, workload, performance processes, recognition, and growth planning.
Support onboarding and build role clarity across graphic design and production art responsibilities.
Develop team capability in storytelling, consumer insight, visual culture, technical execution, digital tools, presentation, and product creation.
Identify opportunities to improve graphic workflows, templates, libraries, legal processes, schematics, and digital handoffs.
Ensure appropriate review and completion of graphic schematics, artwork specifications, trim specifications, legal submissions, and related product files.
Represent GC Footwear Graphic Design in Geo and Global forums.
Build an inclusive creative environment where different perspectives strengthen the work.
#MYNEXT: Be Empowered to Grow within Nike and Create the Future
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
NIKE, Inc. is a growth company that looks for team members to grow with it. Nike offers a generous total rewards package, casual work environment, a diverse and inclusive culture, and an electric atmosphere for professional development. No matter the location, or the role, every Nike employee shares one galvanizing mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.
NIKE, Inc. is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.