Manager, Costing BU Footwear

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation

As Manager Product Costing Footwear, you will contribute to adidas brand growth and profitability by understanding business potential, anticipating requirements, and proposing cost-based solutions. You will provide cost engineering expertise, implement cost-saving initiatives to achieve seasonal product target FOBs and margin, and develop costing tools and insights to optimize product cost and maximize product value.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide product costing expertise during product creation cycles, advising on cost drivers and options to maximize product value and meet margin targets.
• Provide technical costing expertise to enable design for manufacturing and facilitate cross-functional discussions.
• Create FOB and margin reports at each milestone, analyze gaps, and follow up on variations against target margins and FOBs.
• Increase awareness and understanding of costing processes through communication and training.
• Drive or support projects to enhance costing processes and frameworks with Brand, Product, and Global Operations.
• Participate in sourcing meetings and share business-unit challenges and opportunities.
• Contribute to allocation decisions by creating transparency around landed-cost optimization.
• Ensure costing standards, policies, and practices are accurately followed within established timelines and calendars.
• Prepare and communicate cost-driver trends and FOB and margin analyses.
• Maintain relevant costing systems in partnership with stakeholders.
• Role-model leadership that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Key Relationships

Brand: Design and Marketing. Global Sourcing: Sourcing Development, Operations, and Costing. External stakeholders: Tier 1 Costing.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Technical knowledge of products, material construction and properties, and product pricing.
• Knowledge of the sporting goods industry, specializing in product costing, product development, or production.
• Good presentation, negotiation, influencing, people, and communication skills.
• Fluent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively with diverse groups.
• Clear, logical, analytical approach to problem-solving.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI.
• Ability to investigate data, identify trends, forecast performance, and provide recommendations.

Education and Experience

• University degree in footwear technology, manufacturing, engineering, or business, or a technical degree as a footwear technician.
• Alternatively, a combination of relevant education, experience, and training.
• Minimum five years of relevant work experience in footwear product costing.

Culture

adidas fosters an athlete’s mindset through courage, ownership, innovation, teamplay, integrity, and respect. The company is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.