Join adidas Europe and shape the future! For over 75 years, our European heritage has been a fusion of culture and innovation, driving global sports trends. Our offices, from Herzogenaurach to London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Athens, Milan, Manchester and Paris, are centers of creativity and collaboration. We aim to be Europe's best sports brand, seeking pioneers and visionaries to join our bold journey. At adidas, you're not just getting a job; you're invited to make a global impact, joining a team that values creativity, courage and innovation. Are you ready to be part of our journey?

At adidas, every day is a chance to flip the script. An invitation to take everything we know and re-invent it. Do it better. Never settling for good enough. Every day we get up, invent, adapt, improvise, find new ways to collaborate, and do the unexpected. We’re creators, makers and doers. Helping athletes make a difference, not just in their games, but in their lives and in their world. It’s an obsession.

We’ve been doing this for more than 85 years. With an unmatched history and tradition of creating iconic products, consumer connections and experiences, we’ve been defining sport culture since the beginning. And we’re never done. Come be a part of shaping the future together with us.

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• Support the development of the Partner Program (marketplace business model), a growing sales channel for our Digital Partner Commerce business in Europe.

• The Manager Platform Operations will be instrumental in designing and improving operational processes that help us deliver on our company strategy with Partner Program in collaboration with key stakeholders in the different functions throughout the company.
• The ultimate goal is to ensure smooth roll out of new partners and increase productivity with existing partners through defining, building and transforming operational process including day-to-day ownership of performance management, product roadmap and relationship with tech partners (middleware providers).
• The Platform Operations team would act as a central vendor management pillar for other functions within Digital Partner Commerce such as Partnership Marketing, Gift Cards, Partner Development, etc.

Role & Responsibilities:

Platform Operations

Working closely with the Senior Manager Platform Operations, design operational processes in accordance with overall methodology in collaboration with key stakeholders in the different functions throughout the company:

• Monitor and improve the daily operations with key focus on achieving operational KPIs (around delivery/return/consumer service) to ensure we meet our and partners’ targets including Zalando consumer experience model.
• Define, build, and transform business needs in best practices to streamline operational process to ensure smooth roll out of new partners and increasing productivity with existing partners.
• Manage and deliver process and system enhancements, new capabilities, and significant change requests on a local level across brands and respective functions within the boundaries of time, cost & quality while focusing on the customers’ expectations and requirements.
• Lead business improvements and internal alignment processes to enable us to manage this fast-growing and complex business efficiently and to scale.
• Manage and support internal business stakeholders (Finance, Order management Team, Order fulfillment team, Consumer Service team).
• Support Partner Program Business Development team in refining a clearer operational process with respect to all business development core operations for the Partner Program. If needed, support the team as a project manager managing the execution and delivering a partner roll-out by effectively coordinating people and resources.
• Support Partner Program Product Launch & Optimisation team to ensure all needs/changes are captured and ensure correct set-up of product data for our Partners and vendors.
• Support Partner Program Platform Trading team with the tools and system integration needed for accurate Partner management.
• Act regularly as a business partner and system consultant to Partner Program colleagues.
• Be an entrepreneurial innovation ambassador to the organization capable of integrating activities across key functional partners.

Vendor Management

Day-to-day ownership of performance management, product roadmap and relationship with tech and service partners (middleware providers), including:

• Driving performance management and business reviews with some of tech and service partners to ensure successful operations on live & future accounts.
• Facilitating product roadmap meetings with selected tech and service partners to ensure operational improvements and future capabilities are briefed, developed, and implemented on integrator side.

Key Relationships:

• Partner Program Business Development, Business Analytics, Product Launch & Optimisation and Platform Trading teams
• Europe eCommerce Digital Operations and Consumer Experience teams
• Global & Market Digital Partner Commerce (DPC) teams
• Marketplace team and business/technical teams of partner accounts
• Europe Supply Chain Management team, IT, Consumer Service, Finance and Legal teams
• Global Partner Program and Digital Solution teams
• Tech and service partner (Expl: middleware provider) teams

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Extremely strong organizational and planning skills - flexibility to handle multiple tasks and business partners. Ability to work in deadline driven environment.
• Focused on achieving results & confident to take on accountability to deliver to expectations.
• Strong PowerPoint skills required coupled with excellent communication skills.
• Strong Excel skills and high proficiency in spreadsheet analyses. The ideal candidate must be self-motivated and passionate about deriving business insight from financial data, improving financial and business processes, and solving problems.
• Comprehensive understanding of operational process mapping
• Pro-active approach to work & a go-getter mindset
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively – proven ability to navigate and be effective in matrix organizations.
• Dynamic and adaptable – can quickly and effectively assimilate and drive change, quick to learn new systems and tools
• Understanding of IT landscape is a plus
• Experience/exposure of start-up organization and/or scaling business models / internationalization is a plus
• Comfortable working in an international environment.
• Strong analytical skills

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• BA / BS in Business, Finance, Economics or related field
• 3+ years professional experience (experience in digital/eCommerce, business development, operations, logistics, retail or finance).
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; at least one other European language would be beneficial.