Expert – Advanced Athlete Concepts Exploration

Who we are looking for

We are looking for an exceptional teammate at the Expert Level to join the Advanced Athlete Concept Exploration team to imagine, foster and fuel emerging areas of innovation opportunities. The candidate must be strategic at operating at the intersection of athlete insights, product design, sport science, product development, and strategic business objectives. They must be collaborative in nature, able to imagine “what could be”, and able to craft the narrative for big, bold innovation concepts and make them real!

We seek a teammate with originating groundbreaking ideas, developing proof of concepts, and envisioning comprehensive product systems. They must author powerful narratives that inspire, generating interest in and building teams around big ideas. They must thrive in ambiguity, are driven by curiosity and lead with optimism. Their creative talent is equaled by their ability to think strategically and consciously nurture radical thinking.

What you will work on

In this role, you will lead investigation and exploration into key areas or zones of athlete performance that lead to innovation possibilities and inspiration for the innovation studio within NXT AAC. You will work collaboratively with the studio creatives to evolve a vision + landscape for key zones of exploration. You will build strategy & context for key zones, working with athletes, consumers, leading thought partners in NXT and from within the Nike Enterprise, as well as relevant industry partners when appropriate.

You will work with the Space team and extended NXT and Nike partners to develop and deepen athlete* connections to our key portfolio projects and ideas. You will work in conjunction with Space Design, Technology & Innovation leadership to advocate for key internal teammates to drive important ideas. You will need to be knowledgeable and influential across other groups/teams within NXT/Nike to identify new ideas and exploratory minded people in service of the innovation portfolio. You will imagine, develop and influence potential landing spots, business partners, or pilot possibilities to effectively implement, demonstrate and show plausibility of ideas to the business, the market, and the athlete*. You will shine a spotlight on critical projects/ideas within Space; you will develop well-articulated goals, storylines, timing & landmarks to define ultimate success. When necessary for a program, you will work with the Space studio to identify and attract non-space Nike expertise or external talent to build programs or ideas to their fullest potential.

Who you will work with

As a member of the Advanced Athlete Concept Exploration team within the NXT Space Kitchen, you’ll help strengthen and shape the collective as a positive force of strategic creativity and curiosity by engaging and uplifting your Space Kitchen teammates. You will collaborate with design leads, innovators, engineers, developers, and scientists across the collective.

In addition to building relationships with a variety of cross-functional teams across the Advanced Innovation Collective (including NXT Footwear, NXT Apparel, Nike Sports Research Lab), you will also liaise and collaborate with Consumer Insights & Market Research, Brand, Business/Geo partners, and concept champions across the Enterprise.

What you bring

• 8+ years’ experience in a product-related field
• Experience in business development, human-centered research, product creation, innovation, and/or design
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, experience or training
• Excellent portfolio of accomplishments for creating and delivering early-stage concepts with effective plans for scale or transition
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills with the ability to present and communicate to senior, high-profile leaders
• History of providing project management expertise, and ability to lead multiple projects at once
• A global innovative mentality, entrepreneurial spirit, inspires others to action through a passion for creation without a roadmap
• Influential and able to collaborate across a matrixed organization, understanding connectivity between Innovation, Consumer x Field of Play business and Geo partners
• Successful collaborator, who embraces differences and values diverse perspectives
• Resilient, agile, and optimistic; embraces ambiguity and the fluid nature of early innovation and keep teammates and projects moving
• Well informed and stays connected to sport, cultural and societal trends
• Ability to build a vision, and uphold creative and strategic direction end-to-end to ensure that vision carries through project transitions
• Thinks holistically across the Enterprise, finding opportunities for disruptive solutions
• Ability to build a self-initiated portfolio of exploration work, whilst driving existing projects and programs
• A capable leader, ability to self-manage, can work independently with minimal guidance
• Ability to travel up to 20%