adidas Group seeks a Senior Development Manager Footwear Innovation to lead the transformation of new concepts into manufacturable products. You will work 22–46 months ahead of the Inline calendar to bring both revolutionary and evolutionary innovations to commercial readiness, partnering with teams across Innovation, Design, Marketing, and external suppliers.
What You'll Do
- Lead the inception of new designs, components, processes, materials, and concepts into a manufacturable and marketable finished product.
- Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams from Design, Marketing, and Creative Direction, leading horizontal Advanced Creation experts per project.
- Guide the definition and enhancement of test parameters and standards to evaluate concept performance and functionality.
- Ensure all materials, components, and finished goods adhere to adidas performance and quality standards, escalating and managing exceptions as needed.
- Collaborate with Advanced Creation experts to share knowledge and define adaptation potential for new technologies.
- Understand key cost drivers and establish a transparent cost structure for new technologies in collaboration with costing and the supply base.
- Manage tech pack handover to the supply base and drive product revision rounds with the cross-functional team.
- Ensure adherence to tasks and timelines, providing regular project status updates to the Innovation Manager.
- Validate innovation readiness levels and support the definition of handover criteria for revolutionary innovations.
- Manage the transition to commercial readiness ahead of competition, providing additional support for more complex projects.
- Drive innovation until commercialization by checking fit for purpose, feasibility, scalability in terms of machine investments, and managing cost engineering.
- Provide dedicated development capacity and technical capabilities, such as CAD and sampling.
- Provide cost engineering expertise and propose creation options to manage cost.
- Identify, assess, select, and develop the most suitable suppliers in cooperation with Sourcing.
- Ensure scalability, such as machine capacity, and coordinate supplier ramp-up.
What We're Looking For
- Ability to cope with change, make decisions, and act comfortably with risk and uncertainty.
- Ability to demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and creative thinking.
- Strong project management skills and ability to effectively work in cross-functional team setups.
- Strong communication and negotiation skills.
- Strategic acting.
- Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
- Willingness to travel, domestically and internationally, as required by business needs.
- Ability to work independently under minimal guidance on several projects simultaneously.
- Engineering and technical expertise or experience.
- Knowledge of wear and physical product testing.
- Strong E2E product creation understanding and profound knowledge of key creation processes (e.g., constructions, patterns, technology, manufacturing, materials).
- Strong IT skills (MS Office) and ability to work with Product Data Management (PDM) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) Systems.
- Strong understanding of costing principles and ability to negotiate as required.
Technical Stack
- MS Office
- Product Data Management (PDM) Systems
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) Systems
Team & Environment
You will work in a cross-functional environment collaborating with Innovation, Design, Marketing, Creative Direction, Advanced Creation, Inline Development, Sourcing, and external suppliers. This role reports to the Innovation Manager.
