Adidas SENIOR FOOTWEAR DESIGN MANAGER SEED 

China, Shanghai, Yangpu District 

342965697

Purpose for the organization:

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead and drive S.E.E.D. product creation in partnership with director, S.E.E.D. designers, internal business units and external partners/ retailers.

• Develop seasonal design direction of S.E.E.D. x adidas co-branded product in partnership with Design Director, external partners that align with brand identity, initiatives and market trends that resonate with target consumers.

• Develop concepts and creative strategies that fulfill objectives of business unit, partnership, and product briefs.

• Create and hand-off techpaks to development partners that deliver against product brief expectations.

• Ensure premium product quality and dates/ gates are met in a timely fashion solidifying successful product delivery to the marketplace.

• Partner with S.E.E.D. Sr Studio Manager, B.U. and external partners to manage product creation calendars across all projects.

• Disseminate design intentions by creating professional level presentations of ideas and verbally communicate with clarity and expertise.

• Drive efficient processes and communication between internal and external teams.

• Self-manage own creative process and execute towards given design direction within the category.

• Lead and manage myriad internal and external partnerships involved in the end-to-end Product Creation Process – BU’s, cross-functional partners, external collaboration partners

2. Manage S.E.E.D. designer success and career readiness in partnership with S.E.E.D. Director.

• Teach and mentor 6-12 S.E.E.D. designers through the product creation process of designing and developing “go-to-market” products across Graphics, Color, Materials, Footwear, Apparel and Accessories Design.

• Manage S.E.E.D. designer success through touchbases, written and verbal feedback, 90 Day Plan goal setting, #MyBest performance ratings, TLU and calibration reviews in partnership with HR and S.E.E.D. director.

• Lead daily communication and engagement with S.E.E.D. designers around project goals, guidelines, updates, calendars, performance, feedback etc.

• Play a pivotal role in continuous review and planning of S.E.E.D. curriculum together with Design Director and S.E.E.D. curriculum partner, i.e.

• Engage in learning module planning sessions, live sessions & design reviews to ensure alignment across learning and product creation for S.E.E.D. designers.

• Lead integration of product creation projects into S.E.E.D. learning module assignments to ensure coursework is used for experiential learning on product creation processes

Key Relationships:

• S.E.E.D. Leadership Team

• S.E.E.D. Designers

• S.E.E.D. Studio Manager

• Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design

• i.e. (Industry Education) partner

• Originals L.A. (OG L.A.)

• Peers in Design Community – Apparel, Footwear, Color, Material, Graphics

• Design Leadership Team/s – function and business units.

• Marketing & Development in partnering business units.

• Brand Communications, Retail, C2C

• Business Units - Basketball, Culture Collaborations & Partnerships, Skateboarding and many others

• Design Operations

• Portland Maker Lab team

• Partnerships team

• Freelancers/ Consultants

• External partners, schools, and colleges

• Agency Partners

• Human Resources, Talent & DEI

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to inspire, think creatively and strategically, synthesize data, and develop innovative solutions within an entrepreneurial environment.

• Capability to mentor and influence people regardless of reporting lines.

• Profound knowledge of color/ print/ pattern/ material and/ or industrial design.

• Innovative and collaborative leader and coach with high performing diverse teams.

• Proven skills and capabilities in project, organization, and time management.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong client management, influencing and collaborative skills.

• Be pro-active, organized, hardworking and have a keen eye for detail.

• Strong visual and verbal skills with the ability to create impactful/exciting visuals.

• Strong presentation and communication skills

• Ability to work both alone and as part of a team.

• Proven experience with the entire design process (project scope and time planning, design steps, production/ execution of design solution, pre-press processes).

• Working knowledge of Mac software (Keynote, Numbers), design programs (i.e. Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Knowledge of basic design terminology preferred. Proficiency in MS Office products (Word, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.).

• Fluent in English (spoken and written)

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university in relevant Design subject or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• At least 6-8 years practical experience in design environment (Footwear/ Apparel/ Accessories - or industrial design, fashion design or similar design related areas)

• Experience in design education, teaching/ facilitation, and learner development/ management (ideally within the brand/corporate arena/educational setting).

• Preferred candidate has experience working on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Efforts/ Initiatives

• Proven experience with the entire design process (project scope and time planning, design steps, production/execution of design solution)

• Passion for adidas and its mission

• Passion for sports, culture, design, education, and teaching/ mentorship

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at adidas means championing individual uniqueness and cultivating a culture of belonging in which everyone can create at their best. We embrace diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and seek to create a workforce that reflects our consumers and communities.
• adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support,short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage. Employees are able to enroll in adidas’ 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, 11 paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
• The anticipated low and high end of the base pay range for this position is $135,000-,$155,250. Actual salary will be based on various factors, such as a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills and competencies, proficiency for the role.
• We officially returned to office in a hybrid work environment, working 3 days in office and 2 days remote. The working location of this position is Los Angeles.
• Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.