Specialist Accounts Payable jobs at Adidas in United Arab Emirates, Dubai

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

At adidas, we have a clear purpose: “Through sport, we have the power to change lives.” This guiding principle shapes how we operate as a company, how we collaborate with our partners, how we create our products, and how we connect with our consumers. Our values represent essential behaviours and mindsets, reflecting the “You Got This” attitude we strive to see in every team member.

This same purpose and mindset are at the heart of Concept to Consumer (CTC) role that enable consumer-focused category execution by coordinating product availability, impactful seasonal campaigns activations and driving in-season trading strategies. This role ensures cross-functional alignment and operational excellence across channels to deliver impactful consumer experiences and business results.

Key Responsibilities:

• Generate and consolidate market and financial insights (incl. sell-out data), to inform category strategy, transforming it into actionable insights for category and commercial teams.
• Own the input of country range selection into planning systems, enabling a seamless end-to-end sell-in process.
• Monitor and report category performance in-season, identifying risks and opportunities to optimize sell-through.
• Support the briefing with local expertise to the business unit on needed articles, specific retailer needs and other volume and image driving opportunities, local market and category trends, and business opportunities to maximize the category´s potential in the country.
• Be the key contact for local commercial and brand activation teams for the assigned category for the country, with a clear overview of the execution in the market, key channels and accounts through frequent trade and digital visits/review.
• Provide any required scenario analysis related to the Category, and participate of 90-60-30 meetings to be fully on board on a Brand Activation perspective on status of the category, and take corrective actions in case they are necessary.
• Coordinate in-season trading strategies across channels, ensuring agility in response to market dynamics.
• Lead category activation planning in collaboration with Brand Comms, Omni, and channels teams.
• Manage campaign calendars and launch timelines, communicating changes and coordinating execution across functions.
• Ensure product availability by aligning with supply chain, demand planning, and account teams.
• Support discount and inventory strategies, including slow mover management and license expiration considerations.
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings and communications, acting as the central connector between CTC, channels, and brand teams.

Key Relationships:

• CTC Category Leads
• Marketing Operations
• Brand Comms, SPOMA and Omnichannel Teams
• Demand Planning
• Supply Chain team

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities (e.g., Power BI)
• Deep understanding of consumer and market dynamics
• Excellent coordination and communication skills
• Proficiency in campaign planning and product lifecycle management
• Ability to manage complexity and drive cross-functional alignment

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree or equivalent education
• Minimum 2 years of experience in category management, marketing, or commercial operations

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance for internal customers on GBS S2P processes and policies and resolve queries for internal customers and suppliers
• Facilitate efficient use of the Source To Pay system (Ariba Guided Buying)
• Review open items and support reconciliation between supplier accounts and the supplier statements, request missing documents and potential reimbursements
• Secure timely cross-checks on regular controls, as needed
• Perform quality checks on Purchase requests, Non-Trade related
• Ensure timely analysis of Debit balance accounts by working closely with suppliers and other finance teams. Ensure they are balanced by resolving the causes of non-payment, requesting missing and complementary information and executing proper follow ups

Key Relationships:

• Internal Controls
• Other GBS departments
• Local markets
• Management

:

• Strong Finance Acumen

• Solid experience with SAP
• Experience in a Shared Service environment or similar
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English and Italian in a business setting
• Ability to pay close attention to detail, strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Solid interpersonal skills, navigate easily within complex organizations, connect with a variety functions, audiences, management styles, or cultures
• Highly results driven and self-motivated team player with compassion, integrity, trust and perseverance
• Curious and growth mindset; keen to learn and approach subjects outside of comfort zone, look beyond the obvious

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

• Ensuring correct and daily execution of key responsibilities in the GBS Center according to the requirements of GBS policies, procedures and guidelines, and according to the Group Accounting Manual for specific area of responsibility (Accounts receivable/Retail/eCom)
• Self-directed worker for a specific service area
• Supports organizational effectiveness through the identification and communication of process improvement opportunities

:

• Perform accounting tasks in AR Wholesale/Retail/eCom for larger markets, having to deal with specific cases of each market
• Check and review tasks handled by junior members, e.g. cash application, master data changes
• Perform sales vs. collection reconciliation for key customers, landlords and online stores
• Perform reports preparation and analysis, e.g. AR deduction report, eCom reconciliation report, Retail aging and collection analysis report
• Perform and review month end closing tasks
• Deal with ad hoc requests and coordinate with others
• Perform, coordinate and review audit tasks, reviewing the quality results within team
• Create and maintain desktop procedures, checking for inconsistencies and improvement opportunities (SME only)
• Handling of internal and external customer queries on complex cases
• Prepare training material and give training on specific cases for own area of responsibility (SME only)
• Group email and ticket allocation and handling
• Identify problems and bring to attention of Supervisor
• Deliver training to junior member and new member (e.g. sales vs. collection recon)
• Support team lead on project delivery, e.g. efficiency improvement, retail system upgrade
• Raise and implement smart work ideas

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

The Financial Planning & Analysis for& FranchiseEurope

The Financial Planning & Analysis Specialist will play a pivotal role in supporting and innovating financial planning & analysis processes, procedures, tools, and methodologies by harnessing the benefits of Power BI and other advanced technologies to generate business insights. The individual in this position will contribute to our digital finance transformation and promote a modern planning and analysis mindset within the Europe Finance community.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute budgeting, forecasting, cost monitoring and month end closing processes ensuring data quality and integrity across various systems and tools, with a focus on Retail& FranchiseEurope
• Facilitate the establishment of transparency and improvement in quality in budgeting, forecasting, cost monitoring and month end closing processes, while contributing to the integrity of these activities.
• Ensure data mechanization and daily/ monthly maintenance of the information in the reporting / planning systems
• Ensure the seamless operation of daily business activities by taking ownership of related responsibilities.
• Continuously seek opportunities to enhance daily tasks to optimize controlling, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), and overall financial execution, thereby facilitating improved sharing of key financial information.
• Execute standardized reporting and conduct ad-hoc analyses as required.
• Oversee cost centers and provide support to cost center managers in all financial matters, including investment and recruitment requests, as well as cost recharges.
• Manage and support small-scale projects, assisting in the implementation of findings and ensuring the sustainability of achievements.

Key Relationships

• Europe Finance FP&A community
• Retail& FranchiseEuropeBusiness Partner teams
• Accounting
• GBS Chennai

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong financial acumen
• Technical proficiency: Advanced skills in MS Office, particularly Excel, as well as SAP S/4HANA, SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), and Power BI
• Proficient in reading, writing, and communicating in English within a business context
• Demonstrates meticulous attention to detail and a strong customer orientation
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities
• Proven history of successful collaboration in global, multinational projects
• Cultural sensitivity and openness to working in diverse business environments
• Capable of maintaining composure and effectiveness under stress and pressure, particularly when managing high workloads and meeting deadlines.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• University degree (Bachelor, Master, MBA) in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or similar

• 1-3 plus years relevant work experience as CPA or equivalent
• Broad and deep theoretical understanding of job function

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure a timely collection of open receivables balance by working closely with the customer, internal stakeholders and solve any causes of non-payments.
• Ensure that all payments are received are allocated accurately and timely without any errors.
• Follow-up in case of discrepancies and ensure they are handled within a reasonable time frame.
• Be accountable and demonstrate ownership, being able to manage escalations towards management, proposing proactive feedback summary and recommended solutions in alignment with the department policy.
• Be able to back-up the Team Leader solving operational complex situations, and to guide, provide training and support to other team members by applying streamlined approaches.
• Lead short-term defined scope projects or support larger projects within finance operations also processing periodic reviews to identify, assess and take action to mitigate risks to project success.
• Manage customer relationship, which includes problem resolution and root cause analysis.
• Assess and review the credit risk on the customer on regular basis to mitigate risk for adidas according to credit policy.
• Perform review, analysis and proposal of release on credit block deliveries.
• Provide insight in the development of the accounts receivable position of the customer to the Credit & Collections leadership team and Sales / Finance stakeholders.
• Act as the point of contact for the process related issues and support on escalations.
• Track disputes, forward to the right department for their solution and follow-up until their closing.
• Identify the improvement opportunities and support their implementation.
• Provide insight into the calculation of the required provision for uncollectable balances.
• Support requests from internal and external stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain strong financial controls over the work performed.
• Ensure desktop procedures are updated in line with standards and policies.

Key Relationships

• Cash Application
• Customer Primary Data
• Account and Sales Operations
• Sales
• Market Finance

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong Finance Acumen
• Solid experience with SAP and Excel
• Experience in a Shared Service environment or similar
• Ability to read, write and communicate in English and French in a business environment setting
• Ability to pay close attention to detail
• Solid interpersonal skills combined with a high degree of customer orientation
• Ability to navigate easily within complex organizations, connect with a variety functions, audiences, management styles, or cultures
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Highly results driven and self-motivated team player with compassion, integrity, trust and perseverance
• Curious and growth mindset; keen to learn and approach subjects outside of comfort zone, look beyond the obvious

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• University degree in Accounting, Business Administration or similar field
• 5 plus years relevant work experience in the accounting / corporate finance area
• Broad and deep theoretical understanding of job function

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Within GBS, the Accounts Payable Specialist is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and compliance of vendor-related transactions within the Source to Pay – Accounts Payable process. The role goes beyond invoice postings, focusing on vendor account reconciliations, resolution of vendor queries, and validation of postings ensuring alignment with accounting principles and applicable regulations across the Americas.

By combining strong analytical skills with attention to detail, the AP Specialist supports the integrity of financial records, provides visibility on open items and root-causes, ensuring timely resolution of discrepancies with both internal stakeholders and external vendors.

As part of the operational excellence framework, the AP Analyst plays a key role in maintaining reliable vendor relationships, safeguarding compliance, and contributing to the continuous improvement of Accounts Payable KPIs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform vendor account reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and timely resolution of open items, ensuring achievements of KPIs.
• Manage vendor query resolution, acting as the first point of contact to clarify discrepancies and provide solutions, ensuring achievements of KPIs.
• Validate postings executed by the processing team to ensure compliance with accounting principles and applicable regulations for the Americas, providing guidance on new exceptions and applicable rules.
• Review and follow up on critical supplier accounts to guarantee accuracy and integrity of AP records.
• Process urgent invoice postings to ensure timely payments and avoid business disruption.
• Conduct root cause analysis of complex cases, ensuring issues are resolved effectively and preventive actions are implemented.
• Support month-end closing activities as required.
• Prepare documentation for internal and external audits, ensuring compliance with company policies and accounting standards.
• Generate and analyse reports to provide insights on AP performance, vendor status, and key KPIs.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and support the implementation of best practices and technology solutions.

Key Relationships:

• Internal: local market finance teams, internal control, procurement teams, GPO and IT support.
• External: Vendors/suppliers, external auditors.
• Operational Partners: Delivery team (for invoice postings) business users (for GR/PO resolution).

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree in Accounting, Commerce/Business Administration/Finance.
• +2 years’ relevant work experience in the AP area.
• Fluent in English and Spanish; Portuguese is a plus.
• Broad and deep theoretical understanding of job function. Strong financial acumen and AP and T&E experience.
• Experience with SAP and specific areas’ tools such as Concur, Ariba, FIP, APWF.
• Knowledge and experience applying problem solving methodologies.
• Experience in a GBS or Shared Service environment is a plus.
• Highly adaptable professional with strong interpersonal and customer-focused skills; connects easily across functions, levels, and cultures, and effectively drives collaboration in complex organizational settings.