Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

Manage the product creation process for the BU Training category with a primary focus on the Japan market. Work closely with adidas Japan Business Unit to deliver fully integrated and locally relevant sell‑in packages. Contribute to Japan market business growth by operating on an accelerated, speed‑driven product creation calendar that meets local consumer and account needs.

Key Responsibilities:  

・ Contribute to and support the strategic product and market direction under the guidance of the line manager, with strong focus on Japan market needs, trends, and business priorities.

・ Manage the end‑to‑end product creation process primarily for the Japan market with managerial oversight, aligning with global teams as needed. Partner closely with the adidas Japan BU Category Management Team to deliver locally relevant and timely sell‑in packages from product brief to sell‑out.

・ Develop deep expertise in Japan’s sport culture, consumers, key accounts, market trends, and competitors with direction from the line manager to support agile decision‑making on product ranges, distribution strategy, and retail pricing.

・ Capture and respond quickly to emerging trends and commercial needs through accelerated product creation, including Trend Catch‑up initiatives, Key Account SMU requests, and BtB (Business‑to‑Business) commercial opportunities, in close alignment with the line manager to ensure accuracy and feasibility.

・ Contribute to the creation of clear, insight‑driven product briefs, working closely with Design, Development, and other functions—as needed, such as the Legal team—under the supervision of the line manager, ensuring direction aligns with Japan market demand and speed‑focused calendars.

・ Provide recommendations—under manager supervision—on garment construction, material selection, and fitting, aligned with the Japan‑first and speed‑driven product creation process.

・ Analyze and report category business performance regularly with guidance and review from the line manager, identifying Japan‑specific opportunities for range optimization, SMU potential, or rapid‑response initiatives.

・ Communicate effectively with cross‑functional partners including the Japan BU Category Management Team, global BU, Design and Development with support from the line manager when necessary, ensuring smooth alignment and on‑time execution across all creation milestones.

・ Present product ranges to global teams as required, and support sell‑in presentations to key retailers under the direction of the line manager.

・ Maintain and update all product information systems (e.g., M‑3) with accuracy and timeliness following guidance from the line manager.

・ Support the development of seasonal category plans including SKU targets, FOB, GIM and buying volumes aligned with Japan BU’s commercial goals and special business opportunities (SMU/BtB), under the supervision of the line manager.

・ Build and maintain strong networks with market and key retailer partners to gather qualitative feedback that contributes to Japan‑relevant product creation, with coaching from the line manager as needed.

Key Relationships:  

Design, Development, Global BU, Japan BU  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

・Communication skills. 

・Presentation skills. 

・Fluent in Japanese (verbal and written), and business-level English

・Challenging and passionate spirit. 

・Analyzing skills. 

・Growth Mindset

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:  

・PC skills. 

・Product creation experience with APP or ACC background is helpful.