Lead Designer, Global Brand Experience, Converse

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Designer, Global Brand Experience Company: Converse (Nike) Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Brand Experience Design / Retail Design / Environmental Design Date Posted: February 06, 2026 Experience Level: 5-10 years Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in shaping the physical and experiential touchpoints of the Converse brand globally, focusing on creating immersive brand environments and activations.
• The Lead Designer will translate the brand's identity and the voice of creators into compelling physical and digital experiences across retail, events, and pop-up activations.
• Requires a strong blend of environmental, experiential, and graphic design expertise, with a deep understanding of current trends in culture, technology, and materials.
• This position involves leading design initiatives, collaborating with internal and external creative teams, and presenting design concepts to leadership and partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role sits within the Converse Brand Experience team, a specialized group focused on bringing the brand to life through physical environments. It requires a unique combination of spatial design, storytelling, and brand strategy, common in GTM (Go-To-Market) operations focused on physical brand presence and customer engagement. The emphasis on "bringing brands to life" and "emotional connection" suggests a strong link to Brand Marketing Operations and Retail Operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and develop innovative brand experiences across various touchpoints, including retail environments, pop-up activations, global events, and internal brand build-outs.
• Collaborate closely with Directors of Global Brand Experience, Brand Creative, and Global Brand Marketing to ensure cohesive and impactful brand storytelling.
• Partner with Regional Creative and Global Direct teams to execute key brand-defining moments and activations.
• Translate the Converse brand ethos and the "voice of Creators" into tangible, immersive, and aesthetically compelling design solutions.
• Lead and collaborate with agencies and external creative partners, providing clear direction and feedback to ensure design integrity and brand alignment.
• Develop and manage design timelines, ensuring feasibility and timely execution of projects from concept through final implementation.
• Articulate the strategic thinking and creative rationale behind design proposals to stakeholders, leadership, and partners.
• Stay abreast of current and emerging trends in design, architecture, materials, technology, and youth culture to inform creative solutions.
• Ensure a high degree of design craft, with expertise in material palettes, environmental toolkits, and construction understanding.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of brand experience design processes and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are heavily focused on creative execution and cross-functional collaboration, which are core to GTM operations that bridge marketing, sales, and product presentation. The emphasis on "bringing to life," "emotional connection," and "storytelling" highlights the strategic marketing operations aspect of this role, ensuring consistent and impactful brand representation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Industrial Design, Environmental Design, Graphic Design, or a related field.
• Equivalent combinations of education, experience, and training will be considered.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive, technically sophisticated design experience in architectural, experiential, or brand creative roles.
• Demonstrated ability to apply design skills to elevate brand excellence and create impactful consumer experiences.
• Experience within the retail marketplace, including understanding of store construction and development processes.

Required Skills:

• Environmental & Experience Design: Proven expertise in creating compelling physical spaces and immersive brand experiences.
• 3D Modeling & Rendering: Expert proficiency in software such as Rhino, Sketch-up, Cinema 4D, Blender, or similar tools.
• 2D Design & Presentation: High degree of proficiency in Keynote, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Miro, and Figma.
• Design Craft & Materials: Expert knowledge of design craft, material palettes, and the development and application of environmental toolkits.
• Narrative Development & Communication: Strong ability to craft compelling brand stories and articulate design concepts effectively through presentations to leadership and external partners.
• Problem-Solving: Tenacity and creativity in addressing design challenges and finding innovative solutions.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Proven ability to work effectively independently and guide teams, fostering an inclusive environment and embracing diverse viewpoints.
• Trend Awareness: Passion and understanding of current and emerging design trends, visual culture, and youth culture.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with project management methodologies relevant to design and construction timelines.
• Familiarity with A/B testing or user feedback mechanisms for optimizing physical spaces.
• Understanding of sustainable design practices and materials.
• Experience managing external agencies and freelance creatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technical software requirements (Rhino, Cinema 4D, Adobe Suite, Figma) are critical for this design-focused role, indicating a need for strong operational proficiency in creative toolsets that directly impact Go-To-Market (GTM) collateral and physical brand presence. The emphasis on "problem-solving tenacity" and "collaboration" points to the operational necessity of efficient workflow management and stakeholder alignment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a variety of design projects that demonstrate a strong, effective methodology.
• Evidence of research, inspiration gathering, design development, problem-solving approaches, and final execution.
• Projects should highlight the ability to translate brand identity and storytelling into physical and experiential designs.
• Showcase expertise in 3D modeling, rendering, and 2D presentation applications.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of material palettes and environmental toolkits.

Process Documentation:

• The portfolio should implicitly or explicitly document the design process, illustrating:
  • Workflow Design: How concepts were developed from initial brief to final design.
  • Implementation Methods: Examples of how designs were realized in physical spaces, including any challenges overcome.
  • Performance Analysis: While not explicitly stated, showcasing how the design achieved its intended brand or consumer connection goals would be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a design role with significant GTM implications, the portfolio is the primary "system" for demonstrating operational capability. It needs to show not just aesthetic output but the structured process (methodology) behind it, akin to how operations professionals document workflows and system implementations. The emphasis on "methodology," "problem-solving," and "execution" aligns with operational rigor.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The annual base salary for this position ranges from $102,800.00 to $210,000.00 USD.
• Actual salary will be determined based on the candidate's location, qualifications, skills, and experience.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive benefits package available, with detailed information accessible via the provided link: https://careers.nike.com/total-rewards.
• Benefits typically include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and employee discounts on Converse and Nike products.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work schedule, typically 40 hours per week.
• The role requires flexibility to meet project deadlines and collaborate with global teams across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided with geographic market adjustments, a common practice in large, global organizations like Nike. This indicates a structured compensation framework, similar to how operations roles are often tiered and compensated based on market data and responsibility scope. The "flexibility to meet project deadlines" is a standard expectation for roles with significant project management and GTM execution components.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Athletic Footwear and Apparel (specifically within the Converse brand). Company Size: Nike is a large, global corporation (tens of thousands of employees), with Converse operating as a distinct brand within it. This size implies robust processes, extensive resources, and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration. Founded: Converse was founded in 1908; Nike acquired Converse in 2003. This long heritage provides a rich brand history and culture to draw from.

Team Structure:

• Brand Experience Team: This team is responsible for bringing the Converse brand to life in physical spaces globally.
• Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer will work closely with Directors of Global Brand Experience, Brand Creative, and Global Brand Marketing, indicating a hierarchical structure with clear lines of communication and oversight.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role demands significant collaboration with Regional Creative teams, Global Direct teams, Brand Marketing, and potentially product design, retail operations, and external agencies.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: While not explicitly detailed for design, large organizations like Nike often leverage consumer data and market research to inform creative strategies and measure impact.
• Workflow Planning & Optimization: The design process itself requires structured planning, development, and execution, aiming for efficiency and impact.
• Automation & Efficiency: While primarily a design role, leveraging tools for efficiency in 3D modeling, rendering, and presentation is crucial.

Company Website: https://www.converse.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of Converse within Nike is important. It's a brand with a strong legacy and distinct identity, requiring tailored GTM strategies that respect its heritage while innovating. The "Brand Experience team" acts as a specialized GTM unit focused on physical brand immersion.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Lead Designer" position, indicating a senior individual contributor role with leadership responsibilities over design projects and external agencies. It's a step beyond a standard designer, requiring strategic input and the ability to guide others. Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer reports to Directors within the Global Brand Experience, Brand Creative, or Global Brand Marketing functions. This position will likely interact with various levels of management and cross-functional teams. Operations Impact: The role directly impacts brand perception, consumer engagement, and ultimately, sales through the creation of compelling retail and experiential environments. It's a critical function in Go-To-Market strategy, ensuring the physical brand presence resonates with the target audience and drives purchase intent.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Develop expertise in leading complex, multi-disciplinary design projects, managing external partners, and contributing to global brand strategy.
• Industry Specialization: Deepen knowledge in environmental design, experiential marketing, retail design, and the unique cultural landscape of the Converse brand.
• Leadership Potential: Opportunity to grow into a Design Director role, managing larger teams, budgets, and more strategic brand initiatives. Potential to influence broader GTM strategies for physical brand activations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role represents a senior contributor path within a creative function that is integral to GTM. Growth opportunities focus on deepening design leadership, strategic influence on brand experience, and potential management roles, all critical for driving effective GTM execution in physical spaces.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Converse is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The work environment is likely a modern office setting designed for creative collaboration. Office Location(s): Converse Headquarters, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The team structure emphasizes close collaboration with Directors, Brand Marketing, and Regional teams, suggesting an open and interactive workspace.
• Tools & Technology: Access to state-of-the-art design software (3D modeling, rendering, Adobe Suite, Figma) and potentially prototyping tools.
• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with creative peers, brand managers, and marketing leads to brainstorm, develop, and refine concepts.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, but the dynamic nature of brand activations and global projects may require flexibility and occasional extended hours to meet critical deadlines. This requires efficient personal workflow management and prioritization, common in operations roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Boston emphasizes the need for in-person collaboration, which is often critical for complex creative and GTM projects where rapid iteration and tactile feedback are necessary. This aligns with traditional operational needs for team cohesion and efficient project execution.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess qualifications, experience, and design aesthetic.
• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, detailing their design process, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of their work. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects.
• Technical Assessment: Potential for a design challenge or a discussion focused on technical skills (e.g., software proficiency, material knowledge).
• Behavioral & Situational Interviews: Questions assessing collaboration skills, leadership potential, problem-solving, and cultural fit with the Converse brand and Nike culture.
• Final Rounds: Interviews with senior leadership to evaluate strategic thinking and alignment with brand vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Methodology: Clearly articulate your design process from brief to final execution. Highlight research, ideation, iteration, and problem-solving.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback demonstrating the success of your designs (e.g., consumer engagement, sales lift in retail spaces, brand perception shifts).
• Highlight Brand Storytelling: Emphasize how your designs effectively communicate the Converse brand narrative and connect with the target audience.
• Demonstrate Technical Proficiency: Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your expertise in the required 3D and 2D design software.
• Tailor to Converse: Research the Converse brand deeply. Show how your aesthetic and approach align with its ethos, history, and target demographics.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that may involve developing a concept for a specific activation or retail space, or problem-solving a given scenario related to brand experience.
• Focus on demonstrating your conceptual thinking, ability to work within constraints, and clear communication of your ideas.
• Practice articulating your thought process verbally, as if presenting to a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and a potential design challenge highlights the operational need to validate practical skills and strategic thinking. This is analogous to operations roles requiring case studies or process mapping exercises to assess problem-solving capabilities and strategic execution.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• 3D Modeling & Rendering: Rhino, Sketch-up, Cinema 4D, Blender (Expert proficiency required).
• 2D Design & Presentation: Keynote, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Miro, Figma (High proficiency required).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly specified for the designer, understanding how design impacts metrics (e.g., foot traffic, dwell time, conversion rates in retail) is crucial. Familiarity with data visualization tools might be beneficial for understanding performance.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core design function, but understanding how brand activations integrate with broader marketing automation or CRM strategies could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of specific design software (Rhino, Cinema 4D, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma) is critical. Proficiency in these tools is the operational backbone of this role, enabling the creation and iteration of complex visual assets and spatial designs for GTM.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Design Excellence: A commitment to high-quality, impactful design that elevates the brand.
• Storytelling: The ability to weave compelling narratives through physical and experiential design.
• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Fostering a supportive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and integrated into the creative process.
• Curiosity & Trend Awareness: A drive to explore new ideas, materials, technologies, and cultural movements to keep the brand fresh and relevant.
• Problem-Solving: A tenacious approach to overcoming challenges and delivering creative solutions.
• Brand Authenticity: Deep respect for the Converse brand heritage and its connection to creators and youth culture.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working seamlessly with marketing, creative, and regional teams to ensure unified brand messaging and execution.
• Agency & Partner Management: Effectively directing and collaborating with external agencies and freelancers to achieve project goals.
• Feedback & Iteration: An open culture for constructive feedback and iterative design development to refine concepts.
• Knowledge Sharing: Sharing insights on trends, materials, and best practices to elevate the entire team's capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of creative rigor and collaborative spirit, which are essential for effective GTM operations. The focus on "brand authenticity" and "storytelling" guides the strategic intent behind the operational execution of brand experiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Heritage with Innovation: Consistently designing experiences that honor Converse's legacy while appealing to contemporary trends and a new generation of consumers.
• Global Consistency vs. Local Relevance: Ensuring brand experience is consistent worldwide while adapting to unique cultural nuances and market demands in different regions.
• Translating Digital Concepts to Physical Realities: Bridging the gap between digital inspiration and tangible, scalable physical executions that meet budget and timeline constraints.
• Leading Diverse Stakeholders: Effectively managing expectations and driving consensus among various internal teams and external partners with potentially differing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to explore new design software, materials, fabrication methods, and experiential design strategies.
• Global Brand Strategy: Gain deeper insight into how brand experience design contributes to broader global marketing and GTM strategies.
• Cross-Cultural Design: Develop expertise in designing for diverse global markets and understanding cultural sensitivities.
• Leadership Development: Hone skills in managing projects, leading creative teams (internal and external), and presenting strategic design concepts to executive leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: These challenges and growth opportunities highlight the strategic and operational complexities of global brand experience design, directly impacting GTM success by ensuring brand presence is both impactful and relevant across diverse markets.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a pop-up experience for Converse that highlights a new footwear collection for Gen Z in an urban environment?" (Focus on methodology, target audience, brand storytelling, and material innovation).
• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting creative visions from different stakeholders. How did you resolve it?" (Assess collaboration, negotiation, and problem-solving skills).
• "How do you stay current with design trends, and how have recent trends influenced your work?" (Evaluate curiosity, research habits, and ability to apply trends strategically).
• "Walk us through a project in your portfolio that you are particularly proud of, detailing your process and the outcome." (Demonstrates design thinking, execution, and ability to articulate impact).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What does the Converse brand mean to you, and how would you translate that into a physical experience?" (Tests brand understanding and passion).
• "How do you foster inclusivity in your design process and team collaborations?" (Assesses alignment with company values).
• "Describe your experience working with external agencies or vendors." (Evaluates partnership management skills).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type or by demonstrating a progression of skills.
• Storytelling: For each project, tell a clear story: the challenge, your approach, the solution, and the impact.
• Visual Clarity: Ensure high-quality visuals and clear annotations. Be prepared to discuss technical details of your software usage and material choices.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most relevant and impactful projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role mirrors that for senior operations roles in its emphasis on structured problem-solving, strategic thinking, and the ability to articulate complex processes and outcomes, albeit through a design lens. The portfolio presentation is the key "deliverable" demonstrating operational capability.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, showcases your best work relevant to environmental and experiential design, and clearly articulates your design process and problem-solving skills. Tailor it to highlight projects that align with Converse's brand aesthetic and target audience.
• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight experience in architectural, experiential, and brand creative design, emphasizing your proficiency with the required software (Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.) and your years of experience. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting 2-3 key portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic rationale, and demonstrable impact. Be ready to discuss your design methodology and how you collaborate with teams.
• Research Converse & Nike: Understand the brand's heritage, current marketing initiatives, target demographics, and its position within the broader Nike portfolio. This will help you articulate your understanding of the brand and cultural relevance.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.