Manager, Category Management - Sportswear, Training Footwear & Motorsport

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

 

Drive and deliver a comprehensive category strategy across the Pacific region. This role is responsible for end-to-end category leadership, including product planning, pricing, and execution across all channels. The objective is to ensure profitable, sustainable business growth aligned with regional and global strategies.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

  • Validate and localise the category range within country Range Assortment based on Pacific proposals

  • Partner closely with the Senior Manager, Category Management to align on seasonal strategy, priorities, and insights

  • Develop a deep understanding of the Pacific market landscape, consumers, and category dynamics

  • Conduct detailed category analysis including sell-through, forecasting, pricing corridors, and segmentation compliance

  • Manage and deliver against calendar timelines and key milestones

  • Propose Pacific pricing in local currencies, ensuring alignment and pricing harmonisation

  • Contribute to volume forecasting and define optimal product mix to achieve margin, net sales, and forecast accuracy targets

  • Provide feedback on sample sets and manage sample ordering

  • Ensure all global systems are accurate and up to date with country and cluster information

  • Manage local article creation and SMU briefs to broader region where required and approved

  • Define customer segmentation and manage deviation approvals where necessary

  • Gather and consolidate market, competitor, and category intelligence, providing insights to regional category team

  • Review and guide mandatory ranges in line with segmentation frameworks

  • Deliver category presentations at key Go-To-Market milestones

  • Collaborate with the Brand Activation team to align seasonal category and brand calendars

  • Prepare and lead key internal forums including Pre-Buy, Final Buy, Monthly Marketing Campaigns, and Sell-Through meetings

  • Support updates to the Pacific category strategic plan and contribute to IBP/SBP processes, performance reviews, and continuous improvement of outputs

 

KPI’s:

 

  • Category Net Sales

  • Net margin

  • Sell-out performance

  • Compliance to range segmentation

  • Compliance to price corridors

  • Range architecture effectiveness

  • Market share

 

Key Relationships:

 

  • Senior Brand Director

  • Director, Category Management

  • Senior Manager, Sportswear & Training

  • Brand teams

  • Emerging Markets Business Unit

  • Wholesale Channel team and Key Accounts

  • Direct-to-Consumer Buying team

  • Finance, Demand Planning, Business Development

  • Planning

  • MOPS

  • Customer Service

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

 

  • Proven experience in marketing, merchandising, category management/planning, assortment planning, and/or retail

  • Demonstrated track record of delivering commercial results

  • Exposure to adjacent disciplines such as brand communication or sales is highly desirable

  • Strong influencing skills with the ability to work cross-functionally

  • Advanced numerical and analytical capability

  • Intermediate to advanced proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint

  • Highly structured, organised, and process-driven

  • Strong decision-making skills grounded in data and insights

  • Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure team environment

 

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

 

  • University degree in Business, Marketing, or related field preferred

  • Minimum of 7 years relevant professional experience preferred

  • Passion for sports and active lifestyle


At adidas, we strongly believe that embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our culture and talent processes gives our employees a sense of belonging and our brand a real competitive advantage.

– Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You –

By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.

Job Title:  Manager, Category Management - Sportswear, Training Footwear & Motorsport

Brand: 
Location:  Melbourne
TEAM:  Merchandising & Planning
State:  VIC
Country/Region:  AU
Contract Type:  Full time
Number:  537734
Date:  Dec 21, 2025