NIKE, Inc

Senior Director, Sports Marketing Strategy

NIKE, Inc$150K — $200K *
Media
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of relevant industry experience preferred
  • 7+ years of experience in people management preferred
  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or similar fields
  • Established relationships in the running industry preferred
  • Proven ability to manage complex projects with high visibility
  • Excellent communication and relationship management skills
  • Experience with project development tools like Keynote, Excel, and Air Table

Responsibilities

  • Own the Sports Marketing strategic planning calendar and governance processes
  • Lead coordination of Sports Marketing inputs into enterprise planning
  • Build and manage alignment between enterprise strategy and Sports Marketing execution
  • Serve as a strategic partner to the EVP, preparing for meetings and communications
  • Shape the EVP's operating rhythm and manage agendas and follow-ups
  • Lead the development of the 2030 Sports Marketing plan
  • Represent Sports Marketing in cross-functional planning forums

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work closely with senior leadership
  • Influence decisions that affect athlete and brand engagement
  • Engagement in high-level strategic planning
  • Travel opportunities for both international and domestic events
Full Job Description
As the Senior Director, Sports Marketing Strategy, you will serve as a strategic operator and chief-of-staff partner to the EVP, Sports Marketing-helping translate enterprise priorities into a clear Sports Marketing agenda, operating rhythm, decision calendar, and execution plan. This role sits at the center of how Sports Marketing plans, prioritizes, governs, and communicates its most important work across athletes, teams, leagues, sport offense, brand, product, marketplace, finance, HR, and operations.

In close partnership with the EVP, Sports Marketing and the Sports Marketing Leadership Team, this role will own the planning architecture for the function-including key strategic gates and dates, CSR inputs, leadership team agendas, enterprise planning moments, and the development of the 2030 Sports Marketing plan. The role will bring clarity, rigor, and accountability to ensure Sports Marketing is focused on the highest-value strategic initiatives and prepared to make timely, well-informed decisions.

What You'll Do

Strategic Planning, Governance & Enterprise Gates
  • Own the Sports Marketing strategic planning calendar, including key gates, dates, milestones, decision forums, and required inputs across annual, seasonal, and long-range planning.
  • Lead coordination of Sports Marketing inputs into enterprise planning processes and key forums, including CSR, CODE gates, leadership reviews, financial planning moments, and strategic prioritization discussions.
  • Build and manage the connective tissue between enterprise strategy and Sports Marketing execution, ensuring the function has a clear line of sight to priorities, trade-offs, investment choices, and expected outcomes.


Chief of Staff to the EVP, Sports Marketing
  • Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the EVP, Sports Marketing, helping prepare for critical decisions, leadership meetings, enterprise forums, and executive communications.
  • Shape and manage the EVP operating rhythm, including agenda development, meeting design, pre-reads, follow-ups, decision logs, and alignment across the Sports Marketing Leadership Team.
  • Anticipate issues, identify decision points, surface trade-offs, and help the EVP and leadership team stay focused on the highest-priority work.


2030 Sports Marketing Plan & Strategic Agenda
  • Lead development of the 2030 Sports Marketing plan, translating enterprise ambition into a clear functional strategy, priorities, workstreams, milestones, and measures of success.
  • Own the Sports Marketing strategic agenda across priority initiatives, including sport-led offense, athlete and team portfolio choices, operating model evolution, investment prioritization, and functional transformation.
  • Create executive-ready narratives, plans, and materials that clearly communicate Sports Marketing strategy, progress, risks, and decisions needed.
  • Maintain visibility to initiative health, dependencies, risks, and opportunities, ensuring strategic work is sequenced, resourced, and governed effectively.


Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence
  • Represent Sports Marketing in cross-functional planning and strategy forums, ensuring athlete, sport, brand, business, and operational priorities are integrated into enterprise plans and decision-making.
  • Build trusted relationships across senior leaders and functional partners to drive alignment, resolve ambiguity, and accelerate execution of strategic priorities.


Who You'll Work With

This role will report to the VP of Planning and Operations and directly support the EVP, Sports Marketing, serving as a strategic planning lead and chief-of-staff partner for the function.

You will work closely with the Sports Marketing Leadership Team, sport and athlete portfolio leaders, finance, HR, strategy, brand, product, marketplace, operations, and enterprise planning partners to build and execute the Sports Marketing agenda.

The role will also partner across enterprise forums to ensure Sports Marketing is prepared for key planning moments, aligned to strategic priorities, and positioned to influence decisions that unlock athlete impact, brand distinction, business value, and long-term growth.

What You Bring
  • 15+ years related & relevant industry experience highly preferred
  • 7+ years people management highly preferred
  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience, and training Established relationships & tenured experience in Running are highly preferred.
  • Excellent portfolio of accomplishments for leading complex & highly visible projects.
  • High level of understanding how to work alongside and manage high-profile relationships.
  • Excellent communication and relationship management skills with the ability to present and communicate to senior leaders
  • Innate ability to communicate and work across all geos, languages, and cultures while welcoming diversity of thought.
  • Proven track record of managing against a budget, creating tracking tools, and providing leadership updates on status.
  • Project development process knowledge (mainly Keynote, Excel, and Air Table)
  • Proven ability to prioritize workloads, adapt in real time, engage and influence diverse x-functional teams to drive towards a common goal.
  • Up to 25% international and domestic travel required.

About NIKE, Inc

Nike is a sporting goods company that designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products. The company offers various categories of shoes including running, training, basketball, soccer, sport-inspired urban shoes, and kids' shoes. It also provides shoes for aquatic activities, baseball, football, cheerleading, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, skateboarding, tennis, volleyball, walking, wrestling, and various athletic and recreational uses. In addition, the company offers sports-inspired lifestyle apparel, athletic bags, and accessory items. Further, it provides a line of performance equipment including bags, socks, sports balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, golf clubs, and various equipment designed for sports activities under the NIKE brand name, as well as markets apparel with licensed college and professional team and league logos. Additionally, it offers licenses to produce and sell NIKE brand swimwear, children's apparel, training equipment, eyewear, electronic devices, and golf accessories. The company also markets its products under the brand names of Converse, Chuck Taylor, All Star, One Star, Umbro, Jack Purcell, Cole Haan, Bragano, and Hurley. It sells its products to retail accounts through stores, independent distributors, and licensees, as well as through its Website, nikestore.com. As of May 31, 2009, Nike, Inc. operated 338 retail stores in the United States and 336 retail stores internationally. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.

Nike Careers

Join the dynamic world of Nike, Inc., a global leader in sports apparel and innovation, where your career can flourish in an environment that fosters diversity, leadership, and growth. At Nike, we believe in bringing out the best in our team members through continuous professional development and a culture that celebrates creativity and innovation. Work You’ll Do Become a part of Nike’s mission to inspire and innovate towards a better world. Engage in work that intersects with cutting-edge technology, market-leading strategies, and sustainable practices that define the future of the sports industry. Lead with us at the forefront of the global marketplace, where your skills in leadership, teamwork, and innovation can shine. Nike offers a unique position in the industry, combining deep industry expertise with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Collaborate with a diverse team of professionals who are pioneers in their fields. Nike, Inc. employs over 75,000 passionate and talented individuals worldwide, all dedicated to moving the world of sports forward. Introducing Nike’s Professional Growth and Development Opportunities We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every team member can succeed. Nike offers a variety of job opportunities, from in-store retail positions to corporate roles in design, marketing, and technology. Do Innovative Work Join us and contribute to our mission of bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. (*If you have a body, you are an athlete.) Deliver targeted solutions and drive innovation through your unique perspective and skills. At Nike, Inc., your work directly contributes to our global impact. Be Part of a Great Team Engage in meaningful work that connects with consumers and impacts millions worldwide. Our team benefits from unparalleled capabilities, a commitment to diversity training, and a culture that encourages professional growth and networking. Future-Proof Your Career Advance your career with Nike’s comprehensive benefits and support systems. We provide extensive training, development programs, and leadership courses to help you reach your full potential. Explore Discover how Nike is leading in sustainable innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sports industry. The Nike Employment Experience Our combined efforts in innovation, culture, and leadership make Nike, Inc. not just a place to work, but a place to grow a rewarding career. Clients and employees alike look to Nike for new strategies and impactful solutions in a rapidly evolving industry. Stay Connected Join Our Team Search for open positions that match your skills and interests. We are always on the lookout for curious, driven, creative, and solution-oriented team players. SEARCH NIKE JOBS Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. READ CAREERS BLOG Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Explore the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Nike, Inc.
Learn more about NIKE, Inc
Size
73,300 employees
Market Cap
$184.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$2.8 billion
Founded
1964
5 Year Trend
+6.3%
Revenue
$38.2 billion
NASDAQ

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