Senior Director Soccer & Motor Sports
Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization: Act as the head of category management for Soccer and Motorsports for NAM. Consistently shape, plan, and execute short, medium, and long-term strategy and objectives for the category. Influence and implement global concepts in a locally relevant way, considering different consumer needs and distribution channels. Drive cross-functional execution and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own and deliver the North America GTM strategy against global priorities; lead category management team to bring the strategy to life
- Develop a complete 3-5-year plan for the BU based on the adidas SBP, the respective global BU’s and market strategic plan
- Collaborate with assortment planning, sales, SCM and other relevant cross functional teams to execute the plan
- Align with Global on product range build, assortment strategy, and market specific needs
- Ensure go to market and merchandising excellence, including system and article readiness
- Build and sell in plans that provide clear product and commercial objectives
- Develop category initiatives to meet key commercial goals
- Build market/retailer network to maintain marketplace and consumer awareness
- Present ranges internally and externally (to key retailers)
- Continually monitor and analyze product range and sales results to determine products that maximize profitability/productivity
- Manage the process with effective communication and action steps to achieve margin, profitability, and acceptable inventory levels
- Ensure organizational efficiency through motivation, training, and development of direct reports
- Provide performance framework for direct reports by setting SMART performance targets and coach for continuous improvement
Key Relationships:
- Category and Marketplace Merchandising
- DTC, Wholesale and relevant commercial partners
- Merchandising Planning and Systems
- Brand Operations (GTM, Sample, & Merch Ops)
- Brand Communications
- Sports Marketing
- Finance
- Demand Planning and relevant SCM partners
- Global Business Partners
- Local Creation teams
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Advanced cross-functional Merchandising and Marketing knowledge and Market experience in sport and/or fashion/lifestyle categories (sporting goods industry preferred)
- Leading and managing a diverse team
- Consumer-focused with deep product and range understanding and the ability to balance Brand and Commercial priorities to build channel- and consumer-specific activation plans that meet KPI targets
- Advanced user of MS Office suite of products
- Experience in both market and above market organization preferred
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong presentation, planning, and analytical skills
- A thorough understanding of the marketplace through the lens of soccer
- Ability to travel domestic and international up to 20% of time
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree, with an emphasis in Marketing/Business preferred, and
- 10+ years’ sports or other product marketing or related experience, 5 years at the managerial level in the Sporting Goods Industry.
- Equivalent combination of education and/or experience may be substituted for degree.
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