Sr. Director Athlete Servicing in Herzogenaurach bei adidas

Sr. Director Athlete Servicing (m/f/d) in Herzogenaurach bei adidas

adidas

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation

Lead strategic positioning of the Athlete Servicing team within adidas Sports Performance to authenticate the brand DNA.

Ensure our contracted partners can perform at their very best for the brand through creating, running, and consistently improving world class services to elite athletes.

Lead state-of-the-art elite athlete assessment, custom product engineering, and steering of production for Athlete Servicing products.

Incorporate the elite athletes’ voice into the BU and Innovation creation process to drive the development of world-leading performance products.

Key Responsibilities

Drive and implement a global strategy and lead the global Athlete Servicing team in the creation of customized products for our elite partners
Define the framework for providing and ensuring product related elite athlete insights and testing to support creation teams in developing best-in-class performance products
Translate BU, Innovation, and Sports Marketing requirements into strategies for world-class custom product engineering and production aimed at optimizing fit, performance, and return to play
Lead and steer a constantly evolving world-class infrastructure (e.g. assessment processes and databases)
Lead the implementation of world-class on-site services for major sports events such as the Olympic Games and World Championships
Own and influence strategic relationships to experts, research partners, and universities in the field of athlete assessment, data analysis, and product engineering
Lead a world-class global team, develop their skills, knowledge, and behavior
Continuously monitor and evaluate team workload and organizational efficiency with the support of systems, data and analysis, and team feedback and make appropriate changes in order to meet business needs
Ensure appropriate leadership skills are present through creating a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are coached, trained, and provided with career opportunities
Manage a business budget in close cooperation with the SVP Brand Partnerships

Key Relationships

High-profile category symbols and contracted athletes and their staff
Professional sports teams, NCAA schools, trainers, and equipment managers
Global senior leadership in Marketing, Development, Design, and Strategy & Innovation
Athlete Science and Advanced Creation Testing & Quality
Marketing Operations & Processes teams
Corporate functions (e.g. Legal & Compliance, Human Resources, Finance, IT, Logistics)
Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers
Research institutions and industrial and academic partners

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Thought leader with a strategic mindset
Big picture and visionary thinking
Proven collaboration and people skills
Team oriented and compelling presence and excellent communication skills with proven ability to motivate, network, and influence across business levels effectively
Extensive industry knowledge and in-depth knowledge of the sporting goods industry in product, engineering, and production
Experience in leadership roles, executing and driving a vision holistically across the organization
Experience in multi-cultural and cross-divisional management
Proven track record of managing complex cross functional programs
Proven track record on setting and implementing a people strategy
Accountable for budget setting and management

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

University degree in engineering, sport science, or equivalent experience required
Minimum of 10 years progressive work experience in the sporting goods industry, managing people and projects
Minimum of 6 years team lead experience with proven ability to effectively build and lead diverse teams
Strong sports background or experience in product marketing or development and respective categories and passion for sports and products
Availability for frequent travel abroad
Language skills: fluent in English, spoken and written

AT ADIDAS WE HAVE A WINNING CULTURE. BUT TO WIN, PHYSICAL POWER IS NOT ENOUGH. JUST LIKE ATHLETES OUR EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL STRENGTH IN THEIR GAME. WE FOSTER THE ATHLETE’S MINDSET THROUGH A SET OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT TO ENABLE AND DEVELOP IN OUR PEOPLE AND THAT ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE: THIS IS HOW WE WIN WHILE PLAYING FAIR.

COURAGE: Speak up when you see an opportunity; step up when yo