Developer Materials Apparel Creation Center Tokyo jobs at Adidas in Germany

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

Ensure the availability of materials, which support the strategic marketing & design direction to enable commercial success. Finds or develops the right materials according to calendar timelines, target prices, sourcing policy, and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance of the Team Leader or a Manager Materials Development be the key contact and consultant for all material related questions for all internal interfaces
• Contribute to all cross-functional discussions related to materials topics, actively participate in the material selection process and support material consolidation to improve material efficiency

• Build and maintain a close relationship with interfaces such as Design, Creation Center Product Development, Material Sourcing, Quality and Suppliers
• Ensure availability of correct materials data in FlexPLM (technical data, cost, toolbox, lifecycle)
• Give input for suitable sources for new material developments (aligned with material sourcing strategy) and guide suppliers to translate the design vision into new, innovative material which meet commercial needs of the brand
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader or a Manager Materials Development, kick-off and monitor all material developments (work together with suppliers, Sourcing, Quality and Creation Center Development) and be responsible for initial material price negotiations with suppliers (direct development) during development stage
• Ensure that all selected materials are tested and approved by Materials Quality in accordance with applicable calendar timelines
• Cooperate with cross-functional team to create a focused material toolbox and coach the cross-functional team on how to improve material efficiencies
• Set up and maintain the materials library and work on continuously improving the setup and tools for the product creation teams
• Provide latest information on material trends to the respective Business Units/ categories also by gathering innovative input from relevant fairs, supplier meetings, apparel material show etc

Key Relationships:

• Marketing

• Design
• Sourcing
• BOPS (Creation Center Development, Costing)
• Suppliers T2

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Good communication skills, especially when interacting with different levels of business
• Ability to anticipate problems, offers solutions, and address issues with materials in order to meet the Design team’s aesthetic goals and financial targets
• Ability to cope with change
• Ability to accept and meet critical deadlines with good planning and organization skills
• Fluent English (verbal and written)
• Strong IT skills (e-mail, MS office)

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Four year college or university degree in textile engineering or comparable degree/education
• 5 years of relevant work experience in the fabric production industry (knowledge of manufacturing process, fabrics, mechanical and chemical treatments)

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

As a Senior Manager in Product Marketing, you lead the development of product marketing strategies that align with brand and business objectives while driving local market acceleration. You combine a global strategy with a strong local mindset, ensuring consumer-centric decision-making and the creation of compelling product assortments tailored to local needs. Through agility and entrepreneurial leadership, you guide cross-functional teams, manage complex timelines, and deliver insight-driven execution that influences category growth and elevates brand presence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain a strong understanding ofBrand vision, strategic roadmap, and financial objectives to ensure product direction and goals remain aligned with brand positioning and evolving market demands.
• Align seasonal product portfolio plans and tactics with strategic direction and category priorities to achieve business goals and maximize consumer impact.
• Translate market and consumer insights into actionable growth opportunities within the business unit, with a focus on local market acceleration.
• Drive the execution of the product creation process and key milestones, coordinating cross-functional teams to meet timelines, quality standards, and strategic targets.
• Deliver against product creation milestones, ensure teams follow the agreed development calendar, and influence efficient range development.
• Manage accurate and complete product master data to enable downstream systems and processes.
• Own the creation and maintenance of product master data and ensure all relevant attributes are accurately managed to meet go-to-market and sales readiness milestones for assigned product ranges.
• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration and ensure Design, Development, and Marketing teams are aligned on product creation goals and timelines.
• Cultivate and strengthen collaboration across aJ BU and Global BU to identify opportunities and ensure strategic consistency.
• Lead the analysis of market trends, consumer behavior, and product performance to optimize product offerings and future range planning.
• Drive KPI performance (Financial KPIs) and provide actionable insights to optimize planning and product performance reviews.
• With entrepreneurship mindset, proactively identify growth opportunities and lead initiatives that deliver measurable business impact.

Key Relationships:

• Partnerships across global functions, markets, and creation centers.
• aJ/global Business Unit
• aJ Business Unit
• Cross-functional teams, Designer, Operation (Developer).
• External partners, key accounts, and market stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of sport/style industry dynamics and product category expertise
• Strong familiarity with cross-functional marketing and go-to-market planning
• Advanced analytical, strategic, and tactical planning proficiency
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Clear and engaging presentation capabilities for internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to resolve conflicts and align cross-functional stakeholders
• Experience executing change management in fast-paced environments
• Strong consumer-centric mindset in product decisions
• Creative and lateral thinking to challenge the status quo and drive innovation
• Ability to travel and represent brand passion for sports

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree (BA/MA) in Marketing, Business Administration, Product Management, or related field.
• 6–8 years of experience in Product Marketing or Category Management, specifically in Footwear.
• Deep understanding of consumer behavior and segmentation across markets.
• Familiarity with global retail environments, e-commerce, and omnichannel strategies.
• Proven track record in leading product creation processes from concept to launch.
• Fluent in English and Japanese (native level).
• Digital fluency in Office 365 applications and product and marketing tools.

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.Drive for development, commercialization, product integrity, manufacturability, Create to Value (CTV), performance to target FOB of assigned projects / category(ies).
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Have knowledge and expertise in product engineering, development / commercialization processes / timelines.able to identify problems and provide solutions to development/ commercialization issues.Good knowledge of manufacturing process, product testing process / evaluation, material types.Ability to read shell patterns, 2D and 3D blueprints, BOM / CBD, FCT, etc….Good understanding of costing principles and process; ability to decipher cost breakdown related to products.Creative mindsetStrong influencing, presentation and communication skillsFluent in English (written and spoken)Strong Microsoft office skills

REQUISITE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

University degree in engineering or related areas.Minimum 5+ year years of relevant business experienceExperience in pattern engineering, product creation, mold making, grading, materials processing etc.