Lead Engineer, Innovation

Innovation is oxygen for NIKE, Inc., and the company depends on its talented, global workforce to breathe originality and curiosity into everything they do. The Nike Advanced Innovation team strives for lighter, faster, bigger, smarter, smaller, more efficient, more sustainable and more personal. They imagine, research, analyze and invent the next industry-changing technology to advance athletic performance. In roles that span research, design, materials and manufacturing, the Advanced Innovation team looks to the future and focuses on making the seemingly impossible, possible.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

The candidate will report directly to the Korea Innovation Director of Engineering, located in Busan, Korea. They will work alongside Innovation Project Managers and individual contributors with expertise in various engineering disciplines, including Product, Tooling, Pattern, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Costing, Sustainability, Knit Engineering, Robotics, Process Optimization, and Product Development. Primarily, the candidate will collaborate with Nike and its manufacturing partner teams in Korea, while also having opportunities to work with teams across Asia and the USA.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

NIKE, Inc. is searching for a curious and driven Lead Engineer, Innovation to join their team in Busan, South Korea. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience and a thorough understanding of Footwear Development & Manufacturing processes. They should also be adept at thinking outside the box to develop innovative solutions that streamline manufacturing and enhance performance and footwear fit. A self-starter, flexible thinker, and effective communicator, the candidate must be comfortable working cross-functionally and capable of influencing diverse personalities and perspectives. These skills are essential for collaborating across the Innovation team and various functions within Nike's matrixed organization. Proficiency in technical writing, an engineering mindset, data-driven decision-making, creativity, and the ability to challenge conventional methods are highly valued.

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering field with a minimum of 6 years of experience in footwear product engineering, manufacturing, or development.
• Extensive knowledge of footwear lasts, patterns, tooling, and various construction methods.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple engineering workstreams simultaneously.
• Proficient in interpreting technical drawings, sketches, and digital files in both 2D and 3D formats.
• Excellent storytelling and English communication skills, both written and verbal.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

As a Lead Innovation Engineer, you will be responsible to:

• Drive product and process excellence from initial idea to pilot.
• Lead Tech Package reviews (tooling and pattern) for each sample build round.
• Drive adoption of engineering best practices across NXT and PIC engineering teams.
• Design, plan, and execute engineering trials, and analyze results to determine necessary actions for achieving program targets, including performance & fit, cost, sustainability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with product development and functional engineering teams to commercialize product innovations.
• Collaborate with innovators and visual communicators to create comprehensive technical documentation.
• Lead high-profile engineering initiatives.