How a Textile Product Science Alumna Stepped Into a Career in Nike Footwear
Real-world learning helped grad Devon Willard land her dream job as a material developer.
Alumna Devon Willard, pictured here in the Nike material library, joined the company in 2022 as a material developer for the footwear department.
When people would ask textile product science alumna Devon Willard what she wanted to do with her Jefferson degree, she often used Nike as an example.
“Many people would have a hard time understanding what I was studying, so I would say, ‘Maybe one day I could work as a footwear material consultant for a company like Nike,’” remembers the 2018 grad.
A few years later, Willard hopped on a flight to Portland, Ore., to turn that idea into a reality.
Day in the Life as a Material Developer
Willard joined Nike as a material developer for their footwear department in July 2022. When she started at the company, she worked on footwear for Nike SB (skateboarding) and Nike ACG (all conditions gear). She recently transitioned to the women’s lifestyle team, working on products for everyday comfort and wear. (See examples of her work here, here and here.)
In her role, she works directly with Nike’s material vendors to bring a design to life. “For example, my team may be asked to redesign ‘an upper’—the top part of a shoe—with directions to make it comfortable and breathable while also meeting our sustainability targets,” Willard explains. “We’ll take that design intent and go back and forth with our vendors, reviewing material submits and providing feedback until we perfect it. Along the way, we test the materials’ performance properties to ensure they fit Nike’s standards and our consumer aesthetic.”
We had the opportunity to form strong relationships with our peers and teachers. They gave us the freedom to explore our interests and shared their insights into the field, which was valuable.
Willard enjoys this iterative process and collaborating with cross-functional teams, like Nike’s product developers, footwear and material designers, merchandisers and business partners, to brainstorm ideas.
“It’s great to work with a group that brings a variety of ideas and perspectives to the table,” she says. “I’m constantly learning and finding new ways to solve problems.”
The Path to Nike
While not in footwear, Willard says her previous experiences helped her learn more about the textile industry, which ultimately led to Nike. She started her career at Mountain Hardwear, an outdoor company in California’s Bay Area, as a material researcher for products like tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and gloves. She then joined the biotechnology startup, MycoWorks, developing a sustainable leather alternative derived from mycelium.
At Jefferson, Devon Willard worked at Brooklyn Shoe Space, a shoemaking workshop. Here, she created this footwear that ended up in a collaboration at New York Fashion Week.
“I think my combined experience at these companies, along with my interest in sustainability and innovation, stood out to Nike,” Willard shares. “Although I didn’t have an exact background in footwear, I had R&D experience with a variety of materials used in the industry.”
Applying Jefferson’s Real-World Learning
Willard credits the University’s hands-on learning with preparing her for her career. In one class, they went to the Brooklyn Shoe Space, a shoemaking workshop, to design and create footwear that ended up in a collaboration on the New York Fashion Week runway.
She attended Brooklyn Shoe Space again during her senior project, where she and her thesis partner made two pairs of shoes using scrap materials recycled from local textile companies. They added their own style to the shoes by transfer printing custom artwork onto the textiles.
As long as you stay open to learning, feedback and different possibilities, you will build your own path.
Another time, Willard spent three weeks at New Balance with Pensole Footwear Design Academy acting as a material designer. “That’s what really piqued my interest in the footwear industry,” says Willard, who thanks Jefferson faculty for bringing their real-world industry experiences into the classroom.
“We had the opportunity to form strong relationships with our peers and teachers,” she says. “They gave us the freedom to explore our interests and shared their insights into the field, which was valuable.”
Willard advises current textile students to stay open-minded and curious rather than worrying about landing the perfect job right out of school.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out,” she says. “Focus on accumulating different experiences and learning as much as you can. Jobs are stepping stones to figuring out what you enjoy. As long as you stay open to learning, feedback and different possibilities, you will build your own path.”
