Senior Director, BRS (Blue Ribbon Studio) Design Studio

Senior Director, BRS (Blue Ribbon Studio) Design Studio

At Nike, design is more than what we make—it’s how we connect with athletes and culture around the world. Our design community fuels innovation, challenges convention, and amplifies creativity across every category and function. We’re seeking a leader who can champion the people, practices, and culture that make Nike Design a global force for creativity.

Who We Are Looking For

The Senior Director of Design Community & Culture is a visionary leader with a deep understanding of creative organizations and the ecosystems that allow them to thrive. You are equal parts strategist, connector, and culture-builder, with the ability to inspire teams, develop and educate talent, strengthen belonging, and create programs that empower designers to do their best work. You thrive in complex, global environments and know how to translate vision into scalable systems that elevate creativity and community.

What You Will Work On

• Create a vision and strategy to connect and inspire our creative community, through internal and external high impact programs that empower designers to do their best work at Nike.
• Build the plan and execute our internal Nike design team engagement and events, like Design Annual and quarterly Cafe Meetings.
• Champion Design Culture: Define, nurture, and evolve Nike Design’s culture, ensuring it is inclusive, inspiring, and aligned with Nike’s Design Vision and Values.
• Build Community: Develop programs, events, and platforms that connect Nike’s global design teams, fostering collaboration, development and education, inspiration, and shared identity, internally and externally.
• Lead Storytelling & Recognition: Partner with internal/external teams to showcase design excellence, celebrate creative achievements, and share the stories of our people.
• Advance Talent Development: Collaborate with HR, DEI, and Design leadership to shape career pathways, mentorship programs, and initiatives that support growth and belonging.
• Drive Global Creative Engagement: Create opportunities for designers to connect with external creative disciplines and sport communities.
• Partner with Design/Innovation/Product Business Integration leaders to embed best in class creative making (digital & craft) practices into design processes, ensuring impact for product excellence.
• Serve as a design thought leader, identifying trends and fostering creative exploration that positions Nike at the forefront of design and culture globally.
• Oversee BRS studio operations including resourcing, workflow, and prioritization of projects.
• Manage budgets, timelines, and project scopes in collaboration with project managers and production leads.

Who You Will Work With

You will report to the VP of Design Studio and closely connect to the Chief Design Officer who leads all aspects of the Design at Nike across the enterprise. You will collaborate closely with senior leaders across Design, HR, DEI, Communications, and Nike’s broader creative functions and also external partners. You’ll also lead a team of community and culture specialists dedicated to delivering experiences that inspire and engage.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Design or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training
• At least 10+ years of experience in design, creative operations, community building, or organizational culture leadership—preferably in global, creative-led organizations.
• A proven track record of building thriving creative communities, designing engagement programs, and driving cultural impact at scale.
• Strong leadership, communication, and facilitation skills with the ability to inspire across levels and functions.
• Deep commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with experience embedding these principles into community and cultural programs.
• Ability to balance big-picture vision with operational execution in a fast-paced, global organization.
• Experience in product and manufacturing processes, and/or creative agency model
• Passion for creativity, design, and the cultural forces that shape sport, innovation, and lifestyle.
• Ability to take calculated risks to lead the brand into new territories
• Ability to think strategically about product and brand creation relevance and its impact to the larger brand
• A positive mentality with proven ability to flex and adapt to changing business needs while maintaining creative quality.
• A passion for the Athlete, Sport and Culture.

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.

Equity & Accessibility We provide accommodations during the interview process as needed.

Location and Compensation Portland, OR

Portland, OR $220,000.00-$250,000.00

Note This job description overview reflects current responsibilities and requirements and may be subject to change.

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