Lead, Sportswear Energy Marketing & Nike Virtual Studio – Global

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a consumer-obsessed marketer with a deep understanding of the intersection of sport, culture, and emerging fandom ecosystems. This individual thrives in fast-moving environments, brings strong cultural curiosity and innovative ideas, and can translate consumer insights into impactful marketing plans, partnerships, product stories, and experiences.

The ideal candidate is a connector, storyteller, and operator who can build alignment across a complex matrix while maintaining a relentless focus on the consumer. They understand how to create meaningful consumer journeys, collaborate effectively with Geography and City teams, and help Nike participate credibly across gaming, anime, manga, otaku culture, music, and emerging youth subcultures. They bring a nuanced understanding of what earns credibility within different communities, what can feel forced, and how meaningful participation varies across fandoms.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will sit in the Global Energy Marketing function, reporting directly to the Senior Director, Global Sportswear Energy Marketing, and partnering closely with Senior Experts and Nike Virtual Studio leadership.

·      Collaborate with Energy counterparts across Geography and City teams.

·      Work closely with cross-functional teams including Brand Creative, SNKRS, Nike Social, Communications, Entertainment & Celebrity, Gaming, Sports Marketing, Brand Planning & Operations, Finance, Product, Design, and Merchandising.

·      Partner with the Sportswear team to amplify and bring dimension to key product and brand stories.

·      Build relationships with external collaborators and cultural partners, including creators, studios, publishers, platforms, artists, and other voices shaping gaming, anime, music, and adjacent communities.

·      Connect internal and external partners to bring consumer-right, integrated experiences to life across physical and virtual spaces.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will lead the day-to-day development and execution of seasonal Sportswear Energy marketing initiatives while supporting the Nike Virtual Studio scope. You will ensure product stories and cultural opportunities are translated into compelling, innovative consumer journeys across the marketplace, and help build authentic connections between sport culture and fandom culture.

Own the Consumer and Cultural Opportunity

·      Serve as the voice of the consumer throughout the seasonal planning process.

·      Stay closely connected to consumer behaviors, cultural trends, fandom ecosystems, and marketplace dynamics to inform decision-making.

·      Bring deep knowledge of gaming and fandom ecosystems, from major franchises and platforms to niche communities, creators, conventions, and cultural movements.

·      Identify emerging cultural signals, communities, intellectual property, creators, and behaviors Nike should understand, participate in, or partner with.

·      Build strong relationships with Geography and City teams to ensure global direction remains rooted in local consumer insight and opportunity.

·      Partner across functions to ensure the right inputs, support, and expertise are integrated throughout planning and execution.

Contribute to Brief Creation

·      Partner with Senior Experts and Nike Virtual Studio leadership to develop seasonal marketing briefs, brand strategies, and strategic narratives.

·      Gather and synthesize key inputs, including consumer opportunities, product innovation, commercial priorities, cultural context, fandom insights, and marketplace dynamics.

·      Help define target consumer segments and inform audience strategies across Sportswear Energy and relevant fandom communities.

·      Contribute to concepts and storytelling territories that connect product innovation, sport culture, and fandom culture with consumer relevance.

·      Translate consumer and cultural insights into clear, actionable creative briefs for campaigns, partnerships, activations, and product storytelling.

·      Identify where Nike athletes, products, franchises, and stories can naturally and credibly participate in gaming, anime, music, and adjacent communities.

Own the Consumer Journey

·      Lead day-to-day engagement with Geography and City teams throughout the season.

·      Create and manage Geography marketing briefs, gather marketplace input, and ensure feedback is incorporated into planning.

·      Guide consumer journeys from product introduction through launch and sustain phases across relevant physical and virtual touchpoints.

·      Lead communication across functional partners, ensuring teams have the information, direction, and cultural context needed to move work forward.

·      Develop and manage seeding strategies and briefs in partnership with relevant stakeholders.

·      Drive alignment across Brand Creative, Retail Marketing, Digital Marketing, Communications, Entertainment Marketing, Gaming, Sports Marketing, Product, Merchandising, and Design teams.

·      Help ensure Nike participation is tailored to the nuances of each fandom or subculture and feels authentic to the community.

Own the Marketing Plan

·      Build and maintain integrated seasonal marketing plans that connect product, storytelling, talent, partnerships, experiences, and marketplace activation.

·      Develop marketing plans that connect Nike with gaming, anime, manga, otaku culture, music, and emerging youth subcultures where there is an authentic role for the brand.

·      Continuously evolve plans as priorities, consumer dynamics, cultural signals, and business needs shift.

·      Manage timelines, key milestones, deliverables, and stakeholder alignment throughout the season.

·      Identify risks, opportunities, and gaps early, driving solutions and clarity across teams.

·      Support seasonal recaps by capturing learnings and identifying opportunities to improve future work.

·      Continuously bring emerging trends, communities, and partnership opportunities back into Nike to inform future plans.

WHAT YOU BRING

·      Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

·      6+ years of experience in brand, product, consumer, entertainment, gaming, or cultural marketing.

·      Strong understanding of youth culture, sportswear, fashion, consumer behavior, gaming, anime, manga, music, and fandom communities.

·      Proven ability to build and execute integrated marketing plans, partnerships, and consumer journeys.

·      Ability to translate cultural insight into clear strategic narratives, creative briefs, campaigns, activations, and product storytelling.

·      Credibility and fluency across both sport culture and fandom culture, with strong judgment around authentic participation.

·      Experience building relationships with creators, studios, publishers, platforms, artists, and cultural voices is strongly valued.

·      Excellent planning, communication, storytelling, and briefing skills.

·      Strong team player with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders across a complex organization.

·      Strong project management skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.

·      Experience working across global, Geography, and City teams.

·      Growth mindset, curiosity, and a passion for creating culturally meaningful work.

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.