Hilversum, Netherlands, Netherlands
Onsite
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are seeking a Footwear Senior Materials Developer to play a key role within our EMEA Footwear Local Creation Team—someone who sees possibility in every material and knows how to transform concepts into solutions that are real, scalable, and athlete-ready. This individual combines deep technical expertise with creative instincts, bridging aesthetic vision and manufacturing reality. They can interpret data, navigate complex timelines, identify risks early, and drive solutions with clarity and purpose. With a strong understanding of how materials are made, how they perform, and how they can evolve, they will help elevate product excellence by delivering material innovation at an accelerated pace, close to market. In this role, they will develop and provide tools, palettes, and material data across multiple material categories, enabling effective material selection and streamlined application across product categories.
The ideal candidate brings confidence when presenting solutions, curiosity when exploring new technologies, and strong collaboration skills when working across internal teams and external partners. As a member of the EMEA Local Creation Team, they will build effective relationships across Nike Footwear Product Creation and collaborate with diverse teams across regions and cultures. We are looking for a self-starter who is a quick learner, clear communicator, strong teammate, and capable leader—someone who keeps momentum moving forward and ensures every decision advances the product, the process, and the team.
WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON
You'll turn ideas into material solutions—from early concept through commercialization—bringing together innovation, technical expertise, and executional excellence to deliver athlete-focused products. As a member of Nike's Materials Development function and the EMEA Local Creation team, you will drive material readiness across multiple material categories, ensuring every solution meets performance, quality, cost, sustainability, and manufacturability requirements.
You will lead the end-to-end material development process, partnering closely with Design, Product Development, Product Management, Sourcing, Planning, and manufacturing partners to build and execute material strategies that support business and consumer needs. You will identify opportunities, solve technical challenges, and ensure materials and projects are delivered on time against critical milestones.
You will navigate Nike's matrix organization to align local processes with Global Footwear Materials Development standards and best practices, enabling informed and timely decision-making. As the primary point of contact for vendors on category-specific topics- including pricing, technical specifications, performance requirements, and material feasibility, you will build strong partnerships and drive clear communication throughout the development process. You will also serve as the key liaison between vendors and product creation teams, ensuring information is accurate, complete, and effectively shared across stakeholders. In addition, you will drive functional and cross-geography material initiatives, contribute to seasonal material direction and palettes, and champion sustainable material solutions. By staying connected to market trends, emerging technologies, and evolving consumer preferences, you will help shape future material opportunities while ensuring materials are ready for commercialization and scalable manufacturing.
WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH
As a member of the EMEA Footwear Local Creation team, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners across Color and Material Design, Product Development, Product Management, PMO, and Operations. You will also partner with PCC and manufacturing vendors to drive material excellence throughout the product creation process. Success in this role requires building strong relationships across a diverse global network of internal and external partners, working together to bring innovative, athlete-focused products to market. This role reports to the Footwear Product Development Senior Manager.
WHAT YOU BRING
Experience, training, or demonstrated expertise in Materials, Chemistry, Product Development, Product Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, Industrial Design, or related fields, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
High communication and influencing skills, including the ability to interact with cross functional product creation team members both internal and external partners.
Demonstrated expertise of footwear material types including fibers, yarns, textiles, leathers, synthetic leathers, components or trims, manufacturing technologies and equipment, tooling, and materials is highly preferred.
Strong knowledge of material manufacturing processes, lab testing, and interpretation of results
Ability to interpret design intent and offer alternative solutions.
Ability to anticipate needs, mitigate risks, and solve problems.
Explains difficult concepts and influences others to adopt a different point of view.
Attention to detail, active follow-through, assertiveness, self-motivation and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to balance multiple competing projects and independently manage workload.
Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.