Manager Category Management – Training & SPSP

Department: Brand adidas
Direct Reporting Line: Sr. Manager Category Management
Location: Israel
GSMS Grade: M4

Purpose:

Lead the local category strategy and end-to-end category management for Training & SPSP, a strategically important business area with significant organizational focus and strong growth ambitions.

Define the short- and medium-term objectives for the category and translate Global and EM Hub strategies into a locally relevant and commercially effective Go-To-Market approach. Ensure that the category strategy reflects Israeli consumer needs, sport and fitness trends, market dynamics, competitive activity, channel requirements, and distribution opportunities.

Drive sustainable category growth, market-share development, brand relevance, net sales, and profitability in a complex and highly competitive environment. Identify opportunities to differentiate adidas through consumer-led assortments, strong product stories, disciplined marketplace management, and excellent execution across channels.

Act as the local category expert and business owner, connecting Brand, Sales, Retail, e-Commerce, Franchise, Wholesale, Supply Chain, Demand Planning, and EM Hub teams. Provide clear commercial and consumer insights to influence regional strategies and lead the end-to-end CTC process - from range selection and forecasting through sell-in, campaign activation, in-season management, and sell-out.

Balance brand-building and commercial priorities to create continuous consumer demand, strengthen adidas category credibility, and maximize the long-term potential of Training & SPSP in Israel.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive local category strategy and business plan for Training & SPSP, including range architecture, assortment selection, pricing, margin targets, forecasting, phasing, channel differentiation, and campaign execution.
• Define the Israeli category range within the frameworks established by Global and EM Hub teams, ensuring strong local relevance and alignment with consumer needs, competitive dynamics, channel roles, and commercial opportunities.
• Build a deep understanding of the local Training & SPSP consumer, including participation trends, purchasing behavior, product expectations, barriers, and key decision drivers.
• Translate consumer, market, competitor, and performance data into actionable recommendations that strengthen category positioning and accelerate sustainable growth.
• Develop differentiated marketplace and product-segmentation strategies across Retail, e-Commerce, Wholesale, Franchise, and other relevant accounts, ensuring clear channel roles and optimal product positioning.
• Lead seasonal range selection and validation, ensuring the right balance between global brand direction, local consumer demand, commercial productivity, franchise development, and channel needs.
• Lead the category sell-in process for upcoming seasons, including range presentations, showroom preparation, commercial storytelling, account-specific recommendations, and the development of relevant marketing and sales tools.
• Coordinate the seasonal and in-season category calendar with Channel Leads, Brand Activation, Omni-Channel, Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional partners.
• Analyze sell-in, sell-through, sell-out, margin, inventory, market-share, and category-preference data to identify risks and opportunities and continuously optimize category performance.
• Monitor category share of business, consumer preference, product lifecycle, distribution quality, and performance across all channels to ensure the category lands correctly and achieves its strategic and commercial targets.
• Manage the seasonal orderbook and category forecast, proactively identifying potential delays, supply constraints, demand gaps, or commercial risks and coordinating corrective actions with relevant teams.
• Influence EM Hub and Global counterparts by providing clear, fact-based input regarding Israeli consumer needs, local market characteristics, competitor activity, channel requirements, and future business opportunities.
• Act as the local Training & SPSP category champion, building category knowledge and organizational commitment across Brand and commercial teams.

Key Relationships:

• Israel Brand Team
• Israel Channel Teams: Retail, e-Commerce, Wholesale, and Franchise
• Israel Brand Activation and Omni-Channel Teams
• Israel Demand Planning
• Israel Supply Chain Management and Orderbook Fulfillment
• EM Hub Business Unit and CTC Teams
• Global Training & SPSP Business Units
• Finance and Business Planning
• Strategic Wholesale and Franchise Partners

KPIs:

• Net Sales and category growth
• Gross Margin and GIM%
• Category share of business
• Market share and competitive position, where measurable
• Sell-in, sell-through, and sell-out performance
• Forecast accuracy and product availability
• Range size, productivity, efficiency, and overlap management
• Franchise and key-product performance
• Distribution quality and channel segmentation
• Go-To-Market execution - from range finalization and sell-in to campaign launch and in-season activation

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proven ability to develop and execute category strategies in a dynamic, highly competitive, and rapidly changing marketplace.
• Deep understanding of consumers, products, ranges, pricing, distribution, and Go-To-Market principles.
• Strong awareness of the Training, fitness, and SPSP marketplace, including consumer trends, competitor strategies, product innovation, and channel dynamics.
• Ability to balance short-term commercial delivery with long-term category development and brand-building objectives.
• Strong analytical capabilities, including the ability to interpret sell-in, sell-through, sell-out, margin, inventory, forecasting, consumer, and market data.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to communicate complex category strategies clearly and persuasively.
• Experience with BI platforms, reporting systems, and data-visualization tools is essential.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Fluent in English and Hebrew, both written and spoken.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Economics, Finance, or a related field. A specialization in marketing, sales, or commercial management is preferred.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in category management, merchandising, commercial planning, brand management, cross-functional marketing, and/or sales.
• Experience in sportswear, sporting goods, fitness, fashion, lifestyle, retail, or another highly competitive consumer category is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in managing a category or business area with revenue, margin, assortment, forecasting, inventory, and Go-To-Market responsibilities.
• Proven experience using consumer, commercial, and competitor insights to develop category strategies and drive measurable business results.
• Strong presentation skills and demonstrated experience presenting recommendations and business plans to senior leadership.
• Consumer-focused and commercially driven, with deep product and range expertise and the ability to develop locally relevant Go-To-Market solutions while protecting global brand direction.