Purpose
Responsible for the product development of Lifestyle footwear silhouettes, with a specific focus on the Japanese market. Leads topics related to technical and product constructions, materials, process orientation, speed to market, efficiency, and margin expectations. Drives the process and manages projects through strong cross-functional collaboration with Product Marketing, Design, T1 and T2 factories, suppliers, Sourcing, and the adidas Japan team.
Key Accountabilities
- Work closely with the adidas Japan team to ensure Japan product briefs are executed and sample-making milestones are achieved in a fast-paced creation process.
- Establish better working practices to advance processes.
- Drive collaboration with Global Lifestyle footwear Creation Centers, Design, Development, Sourcing, and T1/T2 suppliers.
- Build close working relationships with T1 factories and suppliers to generate new working practices and improve delivery against timelines.
- Manage and develop relationships with the T2 supply base to support localization, speed to market, material pricing targets, and material quality.
- Innovate across lifestyle footwear needs, including product constructions, comfort concepts, materials, product closures, seasonal executions, and solutions.
- Research and formulate options to deliver improved price-to-value outcomes.
- Devise and drive the product process and leverage category sourcing strategy to deliver gross margin and profitability objectives.
- Guide and challenge cross-functional departments to ensure product excellence.
- Develop and improve processes to drive leading product processes with speed and efficiency.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Extensive footwear product knowledge across a variety of lifestyle silhouettes, with experience in development and working knowledge of product marketing, costing, materials, and collaboration with T1 and T2 suppliers.
- Ability to work with and influence all levels of the organization and align external partners with company strategy.
- Comprehensive knowledge of shoe building from design sketch phase to ex-factory.
- Strong business acumen in channel distribution, net sales, margin, profit, and inventory.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced product creation environment.
- Knowledge of footwear construction and development.
- Good numerical skills and negotiation ability.
- Ability to redefine processes and find innovative approaches to product creation, with an emphasis on speed.
- Ability to present effectively to groups, including members of all organizational levels.
- Skill in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
- Ability to travel internationally for consumer trend research and internal meetings and presentations.
Qualifications
- College or university degree.
- Minimum five years of related experience.
- Equivalent education and/or experience may be substituted for a degree.
- Experience in footwear development and sourcing is required; marketing experience is an advantage.
- Knowledge of the Japanese sporting goods industry is advantageous but not essential.
Culture
At adidas, employees are encouraged to demonstrate courage, ownership, innovation, teamplay, integrity, and respect. The company emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion to foster belonging and reflect the diversity of its consumers and communities.