Purpose & Overall Relevance for adidas:

We’re seeking a Creative Technologist to help shape the future of consumer experiences at adidas, leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, spatial computing and XR to name a few. As we’re exploring transformational innovation, we don’t expect you to be an expert in all fields, but to be successful the ideal candidate will be hungry to learn new skills to help build pilot experiences, keep up with relevant technologies and push our team to think and deliver projects that are outside the box.

This role requires a mix of technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and a hands-on approach to developing innovative digital experiences. Many of the solutions we envision don’t exist yet—so adaptability, curiosity, and a learn-as-you-go mindset are essential. You will be responsible for prototyping and piloting projects and providing documentation for future teams to scale within the business if the pilots are deemed successful. 

Why Join the Innovation Team?

This is a unique opportunity to work within a startup-like team inside adidas, driving innovation in digital experiences from concept to execution. You’ll be part of a small fully autonomous team including designers, engineers, a project manager and strategists, shaping the future of digital consumer experiences. If you love experimenting with the latest tech and building engaging experiences, this role is for you!

Key Responsibilities: 

•    Tech Strategy & Evaluation – Research, assess, and recommend emerging technologies to enhance consumer-facing applications
•    Innovation & Experimentation – Develop next-gen consumer experiences using creative technology
•    Rapid Prototyping – Build and test digital concepts, integrating various tools and platforms to create adidas-specific use cases
•    Emerging Tech Exploration – Stay ahead of advancements in immersive media, interactive platforms, Web3, AR/VR/MR, and computational design to identify new opportunities
•    Consumer-Centric Mindset – Ensure tech solutions enhance engagement, storytelling, and commerce in meaningful ways
•    Cross-Team Collaboration – Work closely with designers, engineers, and business leaders to bring innovative ideas to life

What We’re Looking For
•    Strong technical foundation – Understanding of interactive technologies, creative coding, and computational workflows.
•    Experience with digital tools – Proficiency in technical platforms, e.g. Unity, Unreal Engine, WebXR, and generative design tools.
•    Hands-on Prototyping Skills – Comfortable working with creative coding frameworks, e.g. Python, JavaScript, Swift UI, Comfy UI, or similar.
•    Adaptability & Curiosity – Thrives in ambiguity, explores emerging tech, and learns on the go.
•    Strong Communication – Ability to translate technical concepts into compelling, consumer-facing experiences.

Core Attributes for Success

Mindset & Approach

•    Future-Focused – Thinks beyond current trends to envision what’s next in sports, tech, and culture.
•    Comfortable with Ambiguity – Navigates open-ended challenges without fixed goals.
•    Experimentation-Driven – Embraces rapid prototyping, iteration, and learning by doing.
•    Consumer-First Thinking – Passionate about human-centered innovation, ensuring emerging tech feels natural and intuitive.

Technical & Creative Skills

•    Creative Coding & Computational Thinking – Applies interactive and generative design to creative challenges.
•    Prototyping & Execution – Quickly builds and tests early-stage concepts using digital, XR, or digital tools.

 Interest in Multi-Disciplinary Fluency:
o    Generative & Interactive Design (e.g. Gen AI workflows, creative AI, Virtual Avatars)
o    Spatial & Interactive Tech (e.g. WebXR, Unreal Engine, TouchDesigner, Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest)
•    End-to-end Responsibility – Designs, codes, tests, corrects and documents complex programs and scripts from agreed specifications, and subsequent iterations, using agreed standards and tools 

Testing
•    Accepts responsibility for creation of test cases using own in-depth technical analysis of both functional and non-functional specifications (such as reliability, efficiency, usability, maintainability and portability). 
•    Creates traceability records, from test cases back to requirements. 
•    Produces test scripts, materials and regression test packs to test new and amended software or services. 
•    Specifies requirements for environment, data, resources and tools. Interprets, executes and documents complex test scripts using agreed methods and standards. 
•    Records and analyses actions and results, and maintains a defect register. 
•    Reviews test results and modifies tests if necessary. 
•    Provides reports on progress, anomalies, risks and issues associated with the overall project. 
•    Reports on system quality and collects metrics on test cases. 
•    Provides specialist advice to support others.

Systems Integration
•    Defines the integration build, accepts software modules from software engineers, and produces software builds for loading onto the target environment. 
•    Configures the hardware environment, produces integration test specifications, and conducts tests, recording details of any failures and carrying out fault diagnosis.

Porting / Software Configuration
•    Configures software and equipment and tests platform-specific versions of one or more software products. 
•    Reports the outcome of testing and identifies potential improvements to the process and to the software products according to agreed designs and standards.

Stakeholder & People Management

Agile way of working
•    Become part of an empowered and autonomous team which is highly consumer centric
•    Work with agile methodologies like Scrum/Kanban 
•    Feel ownership for the products you are working on 
•    Be highly collaborative
•    Work closely with the consumer
•    Deploy early and regularly to incorporate feedback and to constantly improve the products

Key Relationships: 

•    Digital Strategy, Global IT, Brand, WHS, Retail

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

•    English language (fluent)
•    Acquiring a proper understanding of a problem or situation by breaking it down systematically into its component parts and identifying the relationships between these parts, selecting the appropriate method/tool to resolve the problem and reflecting on the result, such that learning is identified and absorbed
•    Maintaining focus on agreed objectives and deliverables whatever the circumstances.
•    Understanding the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions.
•    Working co-operatively (rather than competitively) with others to achieve a common goal.
•    Willingness to learn and upskill team members on tools needed for the task at hand if not already known
•    Being an active contributor during the creative ideation process and having the ability to be the go-to person for future-facing tech possibilities

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications: 

•    4-year college or university degree with focus on Information Technology or related area. Or equivalent combination of education and experience
•    5+ years’ experience in Software Engineering
•    2+ years’ experience in Technical / Software Architecture

While we’ve outlined key skills and qualifications, we understand that not every candidate will check every box. If you’re excited about this role and believe you can contribute, we encourage you to apply.

Please include in your Cover Letter any links to your work or favourite technology use-cases so we can advance you to the next round of the interview process.