Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Provide leadership, a dynamic environment for success and collaboration across functions and cultures to achieve results. Manage the respective Sportwear FTW Creation Hub, managing a team of Product Creation professionals to deliver against the stated seasonal objectives and longer term aspirations for Sportswear Footwear.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create, drive/steer and implement the SPW FTW vision, strategic objectives and KPI’s in alignment with the overall SPW FTW direction and strategic plans.
• Work closely with the Senior Director to build short, mid, and long term BU strategies to achieve excellence and industry leadership at the product creation center
• Develop new product/product concepts to exceed consumer and customer expectations
• Lead/refine/develop industry leading speed & service models – to enable the adidas brand to take on these ways of working into the wider group
• Get faster, get leaner, get more efficient and profitable, by refining more processes & roles of marketing, creation, design, to change the game for adidas
• Identify business opportunities and risks; respond to them by initiating key action steps and with relevant BU functions and x-functional partners.
• Lead by example, a decision maker able to challenge the status quo to deliver results
• Create a powerful team spirit with a passion towards exceeding short, mid and long term goals and objectives
• Presents Range both internally & externally (Ops/Sourcing/T1)
• Manages product management resources, ensuring organizational efficiency through appropriate motivation, training and development of direct report(s).
• Ensures maintenance of all the product information systems
• Oversees and drives all projects and milestones for product creation hub

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proven leadership, including ability to manage/mentor team(s) and lead cross functional teams and resources both internal and external
• Experience interpreting design intent, offering alternative solutions, and acting as a technical resource.
• Proficient working with factory vendors to ensure and improve manufacturability.
• Highly organized and resilient leader, a high tolerance for ambiguity, with an outstanding ability to seamlessly balance constantly evolving priorities.
• Ability to participate in multiple seasonal projects with competing resources and deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a keen awareness of the audience. Knowing when to dive deep into the details and when to simplify the complexity.
• Unique blend of marketing, development and sourcing experience to suit the Sportswear FTW business model
• Ability to work with and influence all levels of the organization
• Comprehensive understanding of consumer markets, specifically in the sporting goods industry
• Strong business acumen in channel distribution, net sales, margin, profit and inventory
• Prior knowledge of taking product from conception through implementation preferred
• Knowledge of footwear concepts in construction/development strongly preferred
• Good numerical skills with the ability to negotiate
• Skill in MS Office applications (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Smartsheet)
• Ability to travel, domestic and international.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Four year college or university degree, preferably in Marketing/Business
• Minimum seven (7) years related experience
• Equivalent education and/or experience may be substituted for degree
• Experience in Footwear Marketing and or development