Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• To direct others in designing industry leading executions of Footwear and/or Apparel through graphics.
• Lead, ideate, & influence in helping contribute toward building Basketball and Culture Partnerships graphics direction in collaboration with label Creative Direction team.
• Translate the brand Creative Direction graphics direction into the Basketball.
• Direct seasonal graphics narratives for Basketball.
• Guide, steer, and shepherd this vision across the BU category.
• Help lead and set long term & seasonal trends & insights among the industry, win the consumer, and ultimately help contribute to innovating & pushing the label forward.

CREATIVE DIRECTION

Continuously aware and directs a team(s) on information needed to design a consumer and brand relevant BU collection.  Should include all possible sources to gain this information:

• Trade fairs, cultural events, consumer insights
• Trade publications, general interest press, trend services, fashion and lifestyle magazines and websites
• Store checks, market visits, and team travel as provided
• Relevant forecast and sell-through numbers from our Marketing counterparts

Is a stakeholder in directing, creating, and leading seasonal and long-term design direction and strategy for basketball. This also includes respective category allocation within the following topics:

• Incorporating Graphics/Print Direction

Is a stakeholder in defining, directing, & curating aforementioned design direction by, but not limited to:

• Providing trend forecasting content relevant to our consumer and brand
• Working with Local and Global counterparts to provide category relative graphics direction when required cross-location or cross-category alignment is concerned.
• Directs as a graphics conduit to counterparts in label Originals, Basketball and Culture Partnerships as well as Brand Creative Direction.
• Acts as a brand ambassador between all categories looking for opportunities to connect direction, product, and people.
• Directs, creates, presents, and applies Creative Direction/BU specific presentations
• Drives content to Concept To Consumer Team to enhance Creative Direction/BU strategy and storytelling
• Provides a curated context, to enable success among the business

Leads top-line range strategy in their categories. This includes but is not limited to:

• Directly shepherd and leads their team in creating holistic category overviews, rollouts, and strategy for the category.
• Communicate content to Label Creative Direction team, Footwear, Apparel, Colour and Materials Teams to align strategy
• Eagerly seeks proactive opportunities to amplify emerging trends, lead concepts, and strategic hierarchy to product & business
• Has transparent knowledge across critical brand and category direction
• Constant incentivizing and advancement of Creative Direction & BU purpose and vision constantly.

Works closely with members of the category’s design team. This includes but is not limited to:

• Providing graphics content and direction
• Collaboration and critiquing
• Sets a leading example and vision within the team and mentors
• Transfers prior experiences and knowledge to those around them
• Viewed within the team as a graphics expert and director

PRODUCT EXECUTION

Directs Footwear/Apparel graphics executions with input from Creative Direction counterparts, Design, Marketing, and Development. This includes but is not limited to:

• Vision and expectations for seasonal prep and research stated above
• Creates product design presentations; both physical and digital
• Directs and leads their team in creating a quality and merchandisable range by having a detail to top-line view of all products
• Assures Senior Leads are enabled to work closely with Development to assist in development process & costing
• Travel to Asia for development trips (not always required)
• Directly leads, shapes, and informs communicating inspiration and storytelling tools to Marketing and Concept To Consumer

Has experienced knowledge and a higher understanding of product. From graphics, to production.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Ability and desire to direct and lead in managing others, which includes but is not limited to:

• Influencing and leading a team
• Productive critiquing and mentoring
• Creating more efficient, creative, and positive working environment
• Directs and creates high standard of consistent work ethic and optimal creative community environment, while still tailoring leadership and creativity to each individual employee
• A strong working knowledge of footwear/apparel (accessories where relevant) construction and production
• A detailed understanding of the creation process
• Creates and enforces graphics consolidation/alignment for product excellence goals
• Approves all graphics needs case by case
• Computer Skills
• Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop
• Power Point/Key Note
• Apple Mac Operating system
• Understanding of brand history and current positioning
• Understanding of marketplace (Footwear/streetwear/urban) history, consumer, and current positioning
• Culturally connected
• Has a strong understanding and extraordinary sense of graphics, application, and cycles
• Ability to understand design concepts and think conceptually
• Ability to create designs that meet category needs and commercial opportunities
• Ability to design for new initiatives and products with a fresh, innovative perspective
• Ability to operate in a fast pace, ever changing work environment
• Works well in a team environment. This position requires employee to engage/lead/collaborate with many stakeholders, as well as manage various information and relationships
• Ability and desire to push themselves, others, and the brand forward
• Ability to influence, negotiate, and collaborate with key business partners
• Strong presentation skills
• Strong conflict/resolution skills
• Leads with innovative strategies
• Applies industry changing processes
• Sets leading trends that timely with culture and our creators/consumers
• Identify successors to help build and cultivate the Creative Direction/BU category vision

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Four year college or university degree in industrial, graphics, apparel or footwear design
• Direct experience in footwear/apparel/graphic design, fashion design or any design relevant environment
• Thorough knowledge of art and design with clear understanding of visual design or any design related environment
• 8+ years relevant work experience and experience leading a design team
• Equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be substituted for degree

• adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage. Employees are able to enroll in adidas’ 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
• The anticipated low and high end of the base pay range for this position is $166,000 - $199,000. Actual salary will be based on various factors, such as a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills and competencies, proficiency for the role.
• At adidas we offer a Hybrid work policy which requires attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week. For work requiring a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation, in-office attendance is required even on Friday. The working location of this position is Los Angeles, California.
• Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.