Director, Product Marketing, Kids Footwear

Purpose & Overall Relevance For The Organization

• Recognize sport and consumer insights.
• Heavily influence category direction and drive its implementation.
• Execute strategies to tactical plans.
• Steer a cross-functional product creation team to deliver the category vision.
• Lead and develop the category team.

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.
• 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 of industry leading products.
• Analyse and report category business performance to ensure achievement of category KPIs.
• Positively represent the category both internally and externally.
• Be a competent partner for category and ranging discussions with markets.
• Define projects to optimize category performance and steer to conclusion.
• Build an understanding of product information systems and the interlinking functions – clarity on respective timelines

Key Relationships

• Steer a strong relationship and ensure constant dialogue/feedback with Your category across all functions, other categories and creation centers (if appl.)
• Cross-functional team (Design, Development, Materials, Costing, Planning) Markets

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
• 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 10 years Product Marketing experience with Kids’ FTW Product Marketing experience as a must have
• At least 5 years of experience in managing and developing direct reports
• Strong leadership skills
• Experience in trade or sales is helpful
• Fluent in English (oral/written)
• PC skills (MS Office programs)

adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.