Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation

Drive and implement the strategic positioning of the Athlete Servicing team within Sports Performance to authenticate the adidas brand DNA.

Contribute to create, run, and consistently improve world class services to elite athletes through athlete assessment, custom product engineering, and steering of production for Athlete Servicing products. Thus, ensuring our contracted partners can perform at their very best with our brand.

Incorporate the elite athletes’ feedback into the inline product creation process and new innovative concepts to support the creation of world-leading performance products.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate BU, Innovation, and Sports Marketing requirements into strategies for world-class custom product engineering and production aimed at optimizing fit, performance, and return to play
• Provide and ensure product related elite athlete insights and support product creation teams
• Utilize standardized assessment processes and a database to gather information and product feedback
• Drive and implement the global strategy and lead the Athlete Servicing team in the creation of customized product for our top partners
• Implement world class on-site service for major sports events such as the Olympic Games and World Championships
• Own and influence strategic relationships to experts, research partners, and universities in the field of athlete assessment, data analysis, and product engineering
• Lead a world-class team, developing their skills, knowledge, and behavior
• Continuously monitor and evaluate team workload and organizational efficiency with the support of systems, data and analysis, and team feedback and make appropriate changes in order to meet business needs
• Ensure appropriate leadership skills are present through creating a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are coached, trained, and provided with career opportunities
• Manage a business budget in close cooperation with the Senior Director Athlete Servicing

Key Relationships

• High-profile category symbols and contracted athletes and their staff
• Professional sports teams, NCAA schools, trainers, and equipment managers
• senior leadership in Marketing, Development, Design, and Strategy & Innovation
• Athlete Science and Advanced Creation Testing & Quality
• Marketing Operations & Processes teams
• Corporate functions (e.g. Legal & Compliance, Human Resources, Finance, IT, Logistics)
• Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers
• Research institutions and industrial and academic partners

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Thought leader with a strategic mindset
• Proven collaboration and people skills
• Team oriented and compelling presence and excellent communication skills with proven ability to motivate, network, and influence across business levels effectively
• Extensive industry knowledge
• In-depth knowledge of the sporting goods industry in product, engineering, and production
• Experience in leadership roles, executing and driving a vision holistically across the organization
• Experience in multi-cultural and cross-divisional management
• Proven track record of managing complex cross functional programs
• Proven track record on setting and implementing a people strategy
• Accountable for budget setting and management

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• University degree in engineering, sport science, or equivalent experience required
• Minimum of 6 years progressive work experience in the sporting goods industry, managing people and projects
• Strong sports background or experience in product marketing or development and respective categories and passion for sports and products
• Availability for frequent travel abroad
• Language skills: fluent in English, spoken and written

• adidas requires all US based employees to report COVID-19 vaccination status. Proof of vaccination is required in New York City and Puerto Rico. adidas is an equal opportunity employer and will consider requests for accommodation in accordance with all relevant state laws. 
• We officially returned to office in a hybrid work environment, working 3 days in office and 2 days remote.  The working location of this position is Portland.
• Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English. 
• Diversity and Inclusion at adidas means championing individual uniqueness and cultivating a culture of belonging in which everyone can create at their best.  We embrace DIVERSE backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and seek to create a workforce that REFLECTS our consumers and communities.

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