Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:   

Driving force to implement Global Costing strategies by working with Development, Marketing, Design and Liason Office teams in order to maximize go-in margin at the category level. Manage all aspects of the Project Planning process for assigned Herzo based Business Units, driven by the administration and execution of all Logistics operations that need coordination between the German office, the Portland office and all Sourcing Offices in accordance with Corporate, Sourcing, Costing and Marketing strategies.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Work collaboratively with liaison offices to communicate model-level pricing tactics and effectively address critical issues to achieve price targets
• Collaborate with Category partners in Marketing, Design and Project Management to ensure margin maximization at the model level, within the parameters of the company’s strategic objectives
• Manage all aspects of the Project Planning process for assigned category(s)
• Support Project Management and Marketing with a pro-active approach to costing, in parallel with the product creation process to achieve category target margins
• Support development or enhancement of systems to ensure costing requirements are met and to improve costing performance
• Independently coordinate and conduct category costing reviews at critical milestones in the product creation process; ensure alignment between Marketing, Design, Project Management and Sourcing relative to cost target achievement, also coordinate seasonal costing recaps as required to communicate status and ensure focus on critical pricing issues
• Be a key contributor to category growth and profitability by gaining a full understanding of category business potential, anticipating requirements and proposing cost-based solutions to achieve objectives
• In collaboration with Sourcing, Global Planning and Project Management contribute to allocation strategies at the model level to ensure margin maximization
• Recommend and reinforce pull forward timelines to Development, analyze and make recommendation on forecast versus tooling capacity to Marketing to ensure target production ramp up for each project is met
• Work with Marketing, Sourcing Offices and Development to assure timely and correct information for the Pre-Production Agreement (PPA) process
• Review and enter data changes to relevant CPRs: update marketing forecasts, factory production schedules, development timelines, and comments from all parties involved in the CPR process
• Effectively communicate sourcing changes and directives to Customer Service Teams
• Control and follow-up of tooling amortization

Key Relationships:  

• Marketing
• Sourcing Offices
• Development 
• Global Planning 
• Project Management
• Design

Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 

• Technical training in product engineering, development or production
• Computer literacy (Microsoft Word, Excel, Power-Point / e-mail management)
• Working knowledge of adidas Footwear systems (FLS, IB, SIM, RMS, ILS, PDM) preferred
• Good written and verbal communication skills and fluent in English; German or Mandarin is an advantage

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:  

1. 3 to 5 years minimum work experience in the active sports industry, specialising in product costing, product development, or marketing. Proven record of leadership potential
2. Undergraduate university degree preferred