Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:
Manage the product development process for assigned styles from seasonal kick off through to commercialization. Work with the cross functional activity team to understand the consumer and market environment for the focus activity. Collaborate with internal teams and suppliers to provide effective transition from brief/design through to development “buy-ready” commercialisation, on time, within the agreed margin parameter and at the required quality standards
Key Responsibilities:
1. Work with the cross functional team to understand the consumer and focus activity and translate findings into performance apparel development, construction and testing requirements.
2. Work as part of a cross-functional team to agree and manage the creation process agreeing alignment sessions and handovers in line with seasonal calendar.
3. Engineer workable prototypes which address desired function, cosmetics, market appeal and manufacturability and meet adidas quality standards.
4. Collaborate and interact directly with dedicated development teams at our Tier 1 partners under the guidance of your manager to ensure that all critical deliverables for key development milestones are met, specifically OTIF provision of high quality development prototypes.
5. Ensure that new projects are engineered to cost targets.
6. Communicate all necessary information/coordinate all tasks that support on time Color Way Activation for all assigned projects.
7. Support the inception of lower complex designs, components, processes, materials and concepts into a manufacturable and marketable finished product.
8. Ensure that all materials, processes and development samples are fully tested to ensure adherence to adidas quality standards.
9. With guidance from your line manager and peers, you monitor and guide the creation of Bill of Material information at Tier 1 according to established guidelines and calendar milestones.
10. Own full accountability for the accuracy of Bill of material information at key development milestones.
11. With guidance from your line manager and peers, you assume basic costing responsibilities as laid out in the project manager job description, in particular for pre-dictive costing and pre-costing, you participate in costing meetings driven by your line manager or peers, you contribute to the creation of seasonal costing recaps for projects assigned to you.
12. Establish and maintain a strong working relationship with key partners as listed below, managing designated projects to ensure an on time color way activation performance.
Key relationships:
13. Marketing
14. Design
15. Advanced Creation
16. Tier 1 supply partners
17. Materials Development
18. Product Creation Technology
19. Sourcing
20. Fit and Wear Test Department
21. Quality Assurance
22. Costing
23. Supply Chain management
24. Customs
Knowledge, skills and abilities:
25. Ability to understand 2D images in 3D.
26. Ability to create, plan and deliver presentations.
27. Fluent English; German an advantage.
28. MS office skills.
Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:
29. Four-year college or university degree.
30. Exposure to the latest in materials, components, processes, and concepts.
31. 1 year related work experience in the athletic industry preferred, specializing in product development, design and / or marketing.