Lead, Product Development Engineer Design, Air Manufacturing Innovation

Position Type

Full Time

Career area

Supply Chain & Distribution

Manufacturing & Engineering

Location

13630 SW Terman Road, Beaverton, Oregon 97005, United States

Job ID

R-85267

Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It’s a place where passionate individuals come together to create the future of sport. We are unapologetic about who we are and what we’re after—bringing innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world. We look for athletes who can push boundaries, elevate our potential and continue leading us to greatness. The next tastemakers, playmakers, risk takers and glue players. Are you game?

At Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI), we deliver on Nike's most daring dream: giving every athlete the unparalleled sensation of walking on air. Since Nike introduced the Air sole in 1979, no technology has become more synonymous with Nike than Air. Our teams engineer, make, and perfect Nike's most advanced footwear components. Masters of teamwork, we challenge assumptions in order to get faster, drive efficiency and fine-tune technology to deliver quality performance plastic. At our state-of-the-art facilities located globally, Air MI is taking Air to places that we never thought possible.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

As a Lead Product Development Engineer, the candidate will join the Design Engineering team at Air Manufacturing Innovation as an individual contributor and report to the Senior Manager, Global Design and Development. The role influences technical outcomes across the function without people management authority. The Lead collaborates with Tooling, Manufacturing Engineering, and Manufacturing Operations, Materials, Project Management, Supply Chain, and other partners, and provides technical coaching to Engineer I and Engineer II teammates.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a Lead Product Development Engineer to join engineers commercializing and manufacturing Nike Air products. This individual contributor role works cross functionally on new products, processes, materials, and continuous improvement while helping less experienced engineers grow their technical skills.

The candidate needs deep expertise in project management, product development, tool design, materials, and machine safety, plus the ability to influence peers and partners without formal authority. The ideal candidate guides Engineer I and Engineer II teammates on methods and priorities, drives alignment on complex work, and communicates clearly to senior stakeholders. This role has no direct people leadership responsibilities: no performance management, staffing decisions, or team management

What You Bring:

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical Engineering or other manufacturing related degree, or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training

Minimum 6 years of related manufacturing experience within a high-volume manufacturing production environment

Proficiency using CAD for complex product and tooling design. CAD Automation experience is strongly preferred

Experience using PDM software configuration and in depth understanding of revision control. Teamcenter experience is preferable

Experience with programming languages for scripting and developing applications for NX Open API sets you apart

Rhino/Grasshopper experience is preferred

Validated project management skills and proven ability to influence cross-functional partners without formal authority

Great teamwork and communication skills; proven ability to coach Engineer I and Engineer II engineers on technical work

Experience with Six Sigma Tools, Lean Manufacturing methods, and industrial equipment safety is preferred

A demonstrated understanding of fabrication and tolerancing for machined and additive tooling

Ability to travel domestically and internationally on occasion

WHAT YOU'LL WORK ON

You will deliver complex part and tooling design while influencing how the team works, without managing people. You will coach Engineer I and Engineer II engineers, drive computational design practices, and partner across Air MI to align technical priorities on your programs and shared team initiatives.

Lead part and tooling design for new product development and continuous improvement programs

Drive computational design best practices and contribute to design and tooling operational excellence

Guide Engineer I and Engineer II engineers on CAD, PDM, tolerancing, and technical problem solving (coaching, not people management)

Collaborate with Tooling, Manufacturing Engineering, and Manufacturing Operations, Materials, Project Management, Supply Chain, and other partners to align tasks, projects, and technical decisions

Support development of new Air products and daily manufacturing operations

Solve problems using limited information and implement solutions while anticipating downstream impacts

Contribute to documenting and maintaining standard work instructions for the design team

Influence Air MI partners and leaders on project direction through technical expertise and relationship building, not formal authority

Use a collaborative approach to build alignment on tough technical and organizational topics (escalate people decisions to people managers)

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.

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.

What You Can Expect

OUR HIRING GAME PLAN

01 Apply

Our teams are made up of diverse skillsets, knowledge bases, inputs, ideas and backgrounds. We want you to find your fit – review job descriptions, departments and teams to discover the role for you.

02 Meet a Recruiter or Take an Assessment

If selected for a corporate role, a recruiter will reach out to start your interview process and be your main contact throughout the process. For retail roles, you’ll complete an interactive assessment that includes a chat and quizzes and takes about 10-20 minutes to complete. No matter the role, we want to learn about you – the whole you – so don’t shy away from how you approach world-class service and what makes you unique.

03 Interview

Go into this stage confident by doing your research, understanding what we are looking for and being prepared for questions that are set up to learn more about you, and your background.