Senior Manager, Product Creation

PURPOSE

A key player in Global Sourcing in driving Sourcing’s vision to be the Most Agile, Most Competitive, Most Digitalized & Cleanest Supply Base in the industry.

Translate brand needs and future trends into supplier facing capability requirements. Develop, evolve, and implement supplier management tools including identifying and executing continuous improvement opportunities to enhance performance of supply base.

Key Sourcing lead for adidas Originals FTW Co-Creation Team, across a broad portfolio of silhouettes on topics related to technical, product constructions, materials, process-oriented, speed to market, driving efficiency and delivering margin expectations.

Drives the process and is responsible for initiating and managing projects. The role requires strong cross functional managing abilities and collaboration including interactions with Marketing, Design, Planning and Supplier base.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead development/commercialization for adidas Originals. Ensuring that products consistently exceed customer expectations in respect to fit, comfort, design integrity, performance, perceived value, manufacturability and quality.

Enhance the development process between Originals Co-Creation Team and Tier 1 factories. Support the continuous improvement of our Product Creation system & processes to ensure optimal and efficient operations, and special focus on change management.

Influences and drives speed programs to bring products faster to market.

Manages and develops relations with T2 supply base to support localization, speed to market, meeting material pricing targets and materials quality

Generates and provides technical support and training for junior members within the organization.

Devises and drives the product process and leverages category sourcing strategy to deliver new material and design innovation while meeting gross margin/ profitability objectives

Ensures all product milestones are achieved in a fast-paced creation process and establishes better working practices to advance processes

Develops and improves processes with a goal to drive leading product process with speed and efficiency. Always innovating with speed and flexibility

Lead & drive the Product Creation system and process training activities for Sourcing regional locations including new/enhanced developments, monitoring of performance and collection of user feedback.

Lead the account management of adidas Product Creation systems for Sourcing regional location internal & external users, support enhancements and escalations to ensure consistent access for Sourcing users.

Conduct regular organizational performance analysis. Proactively assess and suggest improvement opportunities for Sourcing across functional areas.

Act as support for all policies and procedures relevant for Sourcing, including process optimization, update, and implementation within Sourcing.

Proactively collaborate across functions to identify and resolve issues that are posing obstacles to Product Creation.

Ensure all sourcing operations and practices fully comply with adidas’ Responsible Sourcing & Purchasing Policy, adidas standards and legal requirements, while managing the relevant processes internally and externally.

Manage relationship with the factory development team leaders to continually upgrade sports category competence, development innovation capability, and technical expertise.

Role model leadership to foster Diversity Equity & Inclusion culture that strives for an inclusive workplace.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal stakeholders: Manufacturing, Costing, Material, Planning, Product Quality, Product Testing & Compliance, E&MI

External stakeholders: Sourcing Suppliers (Factory head of development / commercialization, factory development / commercialization team, factory sample room heads, T2 / T3 suppliers)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Strong business acumen and understanding of process, system landscape relevant to Sourcing.

Thrive in a fast-paced product creation environment

Seeks to redefine processes and find new and innovative angles to product creation with an emphasis on speed

Ability to travel internationally for consumer trend research and internal meetings and presentations

Comprehensive knowledge of shoe building from design sketch phase to ex-factory

Strong analytical and quantitative skills and ability to connect dots

Have relevant knowledge and expertise and able to drive LO/regional based projects within defined scope of development & commercialization.

Strong Project Management skill

Strong influencing people, presentation and communication skills

Proven ability in leading multidimensional teams

Fluent in English (written and spoken)

Strong Microsoft office skills

REQUISITE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

University degree in engineering or related areas

Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience in the industry with technical capability and managerial experience.

Experience in pattern engineering, product creation, mold making, grading, materials processing etc.