Color Designer

Title: Color Designer

Location: Beaverton, OR

Duration: 6-Month Contract

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world's best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries, and push the edges of what can be. We look for people who can grow, think, dream, and create. Our culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. We seek achievers, leaders, and visionaries — people who bring skill and passion to a challenging, ever-evolving game.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

You will work with the ACG Footwear & Apparel Color Design team, focusing on the appearance of product, communications, and collateral materials.

Color Design Execution

• Plan and execute color designs across product categories.
• Collaborate with design, product marketing, development, and material consultants to deliver focused color solutions.
• Review all samples to achieve marketable outcomes in partnership with design, marketing, and development teams.
• Clearly communicate all changes for final confirmation.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge across all phases of product execution and share that expertise with the team.
• Maintain color calendars, timelines, and deadlines to ensure timely product completion.
• Develop line art, manage color design servers, GPIN, and merchandising lines, and coordinate materials with consultants.
• Finalize product details and proactively follow through on color execution for each product.

Color Solutions

• Create innovative, retail-ready color solutions for category or gender-specific lines.
• Research and deliver color, design, market, and lifestyle trends that influence the product category process — from briefing to concept to samples.
• Explore options and propose seasonal color strategies with Color Design Managers and/or senior Color Designers.
• Develop seasonal, category-specific direction for color, materials, and graphics.
• Partner with the Category and Design Director to create and lead seasonal color merchandising strategies and stories.

Consumer Research

• Maintain a deep understanding of the consumer and brand-positioning needs as they relate to the category or division.
• Apply knowledge of consumer culture to improve product performance and appearance.
• Demonstrate strong awareness of competitor products, consumer retail habits, color trends, and market dynamics.
• Translate consumer insights directly into actionable color solutions.

Presentations & Communication

• Present and communicate category-specific color and merchandising direction for the seasonal line to relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with design and category teams to produce presentation materials that effectively convey color direction, product concepts, and creative strategy.
• Participate in and deliver bi-annual category/divisional color needs for footwear color committee preparation.

Skill Development

• Continuously develop and refine your expertise as a color designer.
• Work with the Color Design Manager to advance the value of color at Nike through functional expertise in materials, special effects, technology, advanced development, and presentation tools.
• Educate and mentor junior designers within the category or color design organization.
• Pursue projects and opportunities that deepen your knowledge of the business, color, and design.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 5+ years of experience in Color Design for Apparel.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven ability to execute strategic color work, including color palette building and application.
• Strong color storytelling skills with confidence presenting ideas to cross-functional teams.
• A compelling portfolio that demonstrates storytelling, mood board development, and a variety of experience types.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience in outdoor, streetwear, or performance apparel.
• Fortune 500 company experience combined with a start-up mindset.
• Strong understanding of current trends and the broader marketplace.