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Adidas CATEGORY DIRECTOR NCAA & LICENSED CREATION CENTER PORTLAND 
France, Ile-de-France 
194574503

16.08.2024

PURPOSE & OVERALL RELEVANCE FOR THE ORGANISATION

Heavily influence category direction and drive its implementation

Build strategies to win with consumer and market share

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Manage a team and develop their functional and social skills using available resources to create a top performing team
  • Set and manage strategic category direction; ensure cross-functional alignment
  • Collaborate with Creation Center Herzo (CCH) “in-line” teams to drive local product creation that amplifies, enhances, and localizes the global offer
  • Collaborate with other Business Units to create and deliver cross-business unit product collections celebrating North American sport and cultural moments
  • Engage with North American product merchandising organization to interpret and drive localized opportunities.
  • Identify new business opportunities to drive innovation and / or commerciality
  • Develop an "all for one attitude" within the team to ensure smooth cooperation with interlinked departments
  • Have full understanding of the product creation process to drive it forward
  • Be a role model for all team members in regards to strategic direction and the product creation process
  • Show leadership through living the brand values while fostering a performance culture
  • Manage and develop optimum relationship with cross-functional teams and with interlinked departments to enable an efficient product creation process
  • Challenge the cross-functional team to ensure creation ofindustry leading products
  • Analyse and report category business performance to ensure achievement of category KPIs
  • Positively represent the category both internally and externally
  • Work with the Merchandising, Sales, Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing teams throughout the season to define strategic marketing direction
  • Be a competent partner for category and ranging discussions with markets and retailers
  • Define projects to optimize category performance andsteer to conclusion
  • Build an understanding of product information systems and the interlinking functions – clarity on respective timelines

AUTHORITIES

  • Personnel managed – yes Budget managed – no

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

  • Steer a strong relationship andensure constant dialogue/feedback with
    • Your category across all functions, other categories and creation centers (if appl.)
    • Global business units
    • Peers across CCH and CCP/US Sports business units
    • Cross-functional team (Design, Development, Merch, SPOM, Materials, Costing, Planning)
    • Markets, local business units, local merchandising leads and relevant key retailers and Universities

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Manage a team to create industry leading products
  • Inspire, coach and lead; set framework for performance and growth
  • In-depth knowledge of respective product category
  • Experience operating with accelerated/short-track creation calendars and SMUs will be valued
  • Team builder with ability to influence others
  • Ability to intake multiple sources of information/briefs and confidence and acumen to act decisively and with speed
  • Advanced analytical skills, be solution driven and result oriented, strong business orientation
  • Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment
  • Strong communication skills
  • Lateral thinking and challenge status quo
  • Profound consumer, market and retail knowledge especially in regards to different needs of different countries/ regions
  • Step up to conflicts and work towards a diplomatic solution
  • Execute change management
  • Cooperate effectively to maintain and develop trustful relationships
  • Ability to travel
  • Passion for sports

REQUISITE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE / MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • College degree, preferably in marketing/business /textile/fashion
  • Minimum of 7 years Product Marketing experience with APP, FTW , ACC or comparable background
  • Experience in managing and developing direct reports
  • Strong, proven leadership skills
  • Experience in trade or sales is helpful
  • Fluent in English
  • PC skills (MS Office programs)