Senior Manager, Material Development FTW

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

As Senior Manager, Materials Development Footwear, you will contribute to the footwear material development process by ensuring the end-to-end availability of innovative materials that support strategic marketing and design direction. You will lead material selection according to calendar timelines, target prices, sourcing policy, and quality standards, while driving continuous improvement and representing the Materials Development Team at management level.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the key contact and consultant for material-related questions and lead cross-functional partner discussions.
• Steer material selection, drive material consolidation, and improve material efficiency.
• Collaborate with Design, Product Development, Material Sourcing, Quality, Sustainability, IT, and suppliers to develop tools and reports for faster, fact-based decisions.
• Ensure the availability and accuracy of materials data and manage reporting of material management data.
• Identify sources for new material developments in line with sourcing strategy and product allocation.
• Guide Tier 2 suppliers in translating design concepts into innovative, commercially viable materials.
• Initiate and monitor seasonal material developments, including price negotiations and proto sampling yardage bookings.
• Manage invoices for fabric and proto development bookings.
• Ensure selected materials, composites, and components are tested and released according to timelines and adidas quality standards.
• Lead material-related risk analysis and proactive risk management activities.
• Maintain and verify the materials library and promote material sharing.
• Provide material market, trend, and macroeconomic information to relevant business units.
• Drive global process management and continuous improvement across material development initiatives.
• Maintain material-related timelines and ensure key milestones are represented in product creation calendars.
• Represent Materials in cross-functional projects and initiatives.
• Translate innovation and sustainability concepts into business plans with horizontal teams.
• Support junior team members and mentor new employees on adidas technical standards, processes, and systems.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
• Advanced knowledge of the footwear creation process and ability to identify material-related issues and alternatives.
• Strong planning, organization, multitasking, stakeholder management, and project implementation skills.
• Fluency in English and Chinese.
• Strong IT skills, including email and Microsoft Office, with experience using internal material databases and reporting tools preferred.
• Willingness to travel for business and a continuous learning mindset.

Education and Experience

• College or university degree, preferably in chemical engineering or a related field such as synthetics, films, knits, or injected materials, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
• At least 4 years of relevant experience in material development or an associated field.

Company Culture

adidas promotes an athlete’s mindset through courage, ownership, innovation, teamplay, integrity, and respect. The company emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of its culture and talent processes.