adidas is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all ages, genders (incl. gender identity), ethnic and social backgrounds, nationalities, sexual orientations, religions and beliefs, and those with apparent or non-apparent disabilities*. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees.
 
*We actively encourage individuals with disabilities to apply and will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.


Purpose:

We’ll never launch a product unless we consider it perfect. Our product operations teams create every shirt, every shoe and every piece of equipment for thousands of athletes and fashion lovers as if it was one of a kind. And it truly is, as they weave their passion into every single product. But translating designs, drawings and renderings into real products requires a lot of decision making.

As Manager BU Planning you are the Planning partner responsible for translating Brand ambition into tactical requirements while considering Sourcing and Global Supply Planning related direction. As the central point of contact for all BU Planning related topics you manage the implementation of Global Product Supply strategies into your Business Unit. You manage product planning processes and support Global Planning frameworks by providing actionable insight to the Creation teams.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Manage Integrated Business Planning (IBP) for Global Operations in the Creation Zone, align and validate the projected demand of the Business Unit (BU) in order to support production capacity planning, identify gaps and potential risks of the supply base in order to ensure best delivery performance in the Sell & Produce zone.
• Ensure BU strategy and requirements are reflected in Sourcing’s Seasonal allocation strategy, give clear direction to development teams for production capacity optimization while considering production line capabilities; drive allocation for special programs, e.g. Special Make-Up (SMU), Speed
• Manage seasonal Tooling Authorization process to allow on time mold opening while considering tooling amortization and product availability (only applicable to FTW)
• Execute BU Critical Product Review (CPR) process with BU partners including development of action plans across all functions.
• Drive production level loading via different measures on a BU level (e.g. Early Buy Ready, product consolidations).
• Support implementation of and operate within global planning framework (processes, policies, calendars) while supporting BU specific needs (e.g. exceptional planning processes for collaborations, events).
• Act as business partner to Horizontal BU Planning Team for BU related actions, information requests and others.
• Work with Product Creation teams and Global Planning/Sourcing/Supply Chain Management (SCM) on achieving global availability targets in order to secure a smooth production start (Material Commitments, Make to Forecast, Retail Intro Feasibility).
• Run regular Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reports to create transparency and support BU specific reporting requests to enable fact-based decision making.
• Identify opportunities for improvement and optimization of the BU Planning processes, support cross-functional projects.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously according to business priority
• End-2-End process understanding
• Ability to identify issues and proactively drive solutions
• Strong skills in decision making and managing difficult situations
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication and presentation skills and personal presence, with proven ability to interact, influence and convince at management level
• Team player with the ability to work with diverse groups of people in a productive manner and mentor junior team members
• Consumer/customer oriented in all day job matters
• Good product-related knowledge is beneficial
• Excellent knowledge of standard software applications (Excel, Powerpoint, MicroStrategy/PowerBI)
• Fluent in English
• Continuous learning/growth mindset

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications: 

• University degree in business-related field (e.g. Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Finance)
• Alternatively, combination of relevant education, experience, and training
• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience