Adidas SR DESIGNER FOOTWEAR PRODUCT CREATION 

China, Shanghai, Yangpu District 

144826198

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• Partner with Product Creation Lead along with Sourcing and Factory leads to develop industry leading creative and functional (manufacturing and costing) solutions for assigned concept or category.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create and revise Technical Packages for assigned styles/models and ensure all key must haves are achieved, focusing on aesthetic, proportion, costing, and manufacturing
• Interpreting design intent, offering alternative and supplementary solutions; acting as a technical resource to HQ partners and Factory Leads
• Track and facilitate prototyping of multiple projects, identify and address key issues and challenges in construction/manufacturing/costing, and plan accordingly to deliver world class product
• Manage multiple projects with tight timelines, with expectations to manage timelines for self and team
• Acts as a technical resource to other team members and HQ partners
• Steer and coach team members and their creative processes and drive development of direct reports
• Collaborate with HQ with design support for potential in-line and SMU designs
• Review and approve development stages of sample execution
• Participate in creation of annual and long-term Creative Direction strategies
• Present and communicate creative solutions with clarity, effectively selling in ideas to variety of stakeholders
• Identify opportunities of improvement and change, and initiate own proposals/projects
• Seek out new Design resources that can deliver world class results

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• High level of interpreting design intent, offering alternative solutions, and acting as a technical resource
• High level of understanding of 2D and 3D design
• Expert in writing product specs and construction standards instructions
• Strong knowledge of product design and development
• Proficient working with factory vendors to ensure and improve manufacturability
• Prior knowledge of taking product from conception through implementation preferred
• Knowledge of footwear concepts in construction/development strongly preferred
• Comprehensive understanding of consumer markets, specifically in the sporting goods industry
• Understanding of various product types, silhouettes and categories

• Strong problem solving, organization and communication and comprehension skills
• Collaborator, resilient leader, and works well with others
• Understanding of color / material trends, compatibility, and color placement
• Speaks up with courage for self and the team
• Ability to understand challenges or underlying concerns, share ideas and develop effective responses
• Ability to manage multiple projects with tight timelines, with expectations to manage timelines for self and team
• Highly organized with a high tolerance for ambiguity, with an outstanding ability to seamlessly balance constantly evolving priorities
• Proficient ability to dive deep into details and following through to organize complexity into simplicity
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a keen awareness of the audience
• Ability to effectively present to groups, including members of all organizational levels
• Digital Design Skills proficiency (design based software knowledge needed: adobe Creative Suite – Illustrator, Photoshop; Rhinoceros and other CAD software knowledge is a plus)
• IT skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint: advanced /Outlook
• Strong visual communication skills and verbal skills with the ability to create impactful/exciting/effective visuals
• Language: English: excellent

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Under-graduate level Design education or combination thereof
• Solid education and advanced experience in the creative development of communication tools
• At least 6-8 years experience in Sporting Goods/Fashion Industry or Design on managerial level
• Proven experience with the entire design process (project scope, conception, timing and planning, production/execution of design solution, pre-press processes)
• Passion for adidas and its mission
• Passion for sports, culture, design