Senior Manager Category Management: Sport + Partnerships - EM South
Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:
Strategic guidance and input on Team Sport (Football, Motorsport, Basketball, Golf) to drive market share gains and deliver absolute sport credibility across all countries in EM South
Strategic guidance and input on Sport Partnerships + Properties to maximize the commercial and brand opportunity for adidas and the partner
Key Responsibilities:
•Define the partnership product strategy for all Team Sport partners
•Guide the full partnership product process which includes range building, range selection, range extension and local badging
•Manage external and internal stakeholders to ensure all product development deadlines are met
•Develop and implement the Team Sport category product strategy for EMS to deliver market leadership across all key categories
•Work closely with direct reports to deliver a compelling range/concept selection for EMS by balancing local consumer; global brand; and commercial considerations
•Deliver net sales and profitability (GIM) by managing pricing, margin, and the product mix across all key markets
•Lead the seasonal analysis of the full marketplace to understand trends, competitor product assortments and pricing.
•Proactively drive cluster range enhancements (including product development) that meet local needs and reflect differentiation in marketplace where required.
•Support seasonal Brand Activations by aligning with BA/Omni team on Marketing plans; communication tools; activation tools; and by providing sports marketing support to ensure our partners get access to the best of adidas.
•Lead, coach and develop direct reports
Key Relationships:
•Director CTC & Mops EM South
•EMS Category Management Team.
•Cluster Demand Planning team
•EMS commercial channel Teams (DTC, Ecom, WHS)
•EM + Global BU’s
KPIs:
•Net Sales and GIM%
•Product development milestones met
•Partner Product KPI’s
•Range efficiency targets; range size and efficiency (incl. overlap)
•Market Share
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
•Merchandising, category management/planning, assortment planning and/or retail experience, with a distinct track record of success within the Sport Industry
•Knowledge of Sport industry within South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria (experience in Football beneficial)
•Product development for sport teams essential
•Experience managing partners essential
•Exposure to other disciplines preferable, e.g. sports marketing, brand communication, retail or sales experience
•Strong presentation/communications and influencing skills
•Strong numerical / analytical skills
•Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office – Excel and PowerPoint key
•Structured, organized and process orientated
•Ability to work effectively within a team environment under pressure
•Industry: Preferably in retail
•Exposure: Sport
Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:
•University degree (Marketing/Business/Merchandising)
•A minimum of 10+ years equivalent professional experience
•Experience working within a Global Sport Brand (Football preferred)
•People Leadership experience for a minimum of 5 years
•Fluent in English