Senior Design Director, US Sports

Area Design

Direct Reporting Line Category General Manager

Location Portland

Number of Personnel Managed 10-20

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

Establish the design direction for US Sports categories within the context of the global brand design direction. Guide and nuture the design direction through close collaboration and communication with the design team, product operations, product marketing, brand communications, the consumer, and other key stakeholders.

Represent US Sports categories, products, and consumers within the broader adidas design community. Influence, co-create, and steward the adidas brand creative direction across the US Sports category and creative community.

Serve as a role model through the embodiment of adidas' values. Provide creative and professional leadership that bolsters a creative culture within the design team along with all respective cross-functional partners.

Identify, develop, and implement processes that unlock cross-category opportunities to reach the consumer holsitcally.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Mindset - How We Win

Drive creative strategies that can be implemented into product across both performance and aesthetics.

Develop and implement a creative strategy that will increase brand association and recognition through brand marketing partners, Teams, athletes, go to market, retail, and brand marketing.

Develop a long-term innovation roadmap for the categories together with Athlete Testing, Business Unit, Product Operations (Product Development), and Creative Direction, and establish a plan for how to implement and transition products from advanced stages to inline.

Ensure that brand design standards and brand creative direction are translated and implemented in the category through the category's consumer lens

Proactively develop design concepts for new technologies and concepts, optimizing the ratio of authentic and inspirational design

Lead and steer the Business Unit creative vision toward strategic objectives and the business targets supporting the Brand, Market, and BU SBP

Contribute to the development of the overall category plan in cooperation with the GM, Brand Marketing, and Sports Marketing for the category.

Collaboration - Win As a Team

Collaborate closely with other creation teams globally and locally to reach the North America athlete/consumer holistically.

Partner with brand communications to ensure design strategy for key categories/category groupings works in concert with consumer facing marketing.

Work together with product operations to optimize existing and/or to find new and innovative methods of working to improve products and product ranges.

Work collaboratively with other Heads of Design, Design Directors and Creative Direction to actively sharpen the adidas brand positioning and perception overall on a seasonal basis and in the respective Business Unit.

Establish a close working relationship with the respective Category heads in other Business Units

Partner intra-BU with other cross-functional leads to drive and steer category milestone meetings in cooperation with the strategy and head office team for the category.

Travel the marketplace to get feedback from athletes, retailers, consumers, and industry experts in order to apply to overall design strategy.

Strong Leadership Capability

Provide design leadership to senior apparel, footwear, Color, Materials and Graphics, and identity designers throughout the design process.

Manage and foster creativity within the design team to ensure the creation and manufacturing of products that meet the needs of consumers, athletes, partners, and customers.

Inspire, coach, and motivate teams to pursue cutting edge innovative ideas.

Oversee all design concepts and coach the team to defined standards and processes.

Lead and steer design process optimization, to ensure state of the art workflow.

Grow, develop, and performance manage direct reports and broader team.

Key Relationships

Creative Direction

Counterparts within Business Unit

Innovation

Brand Marketing

Product Operations

Other Heads of Design

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Extensive textile, graphic, and footwear/apparel knowledge.

Specific knowledge and credibility around the sport categories

Previous experience designing athlete branded/signature product

Holistic thinker - can establish and drive end to end design strategy and initiatives

Big picture and end-to-end strategic thinking

Strong presentation, planning, and analytical skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong influence skills

Extensive knowledge of market and trend analysis

Inspirational and empowering leader

Proven track record in Design

Holistic thinking in Creative Direction from brand to product Design

Demonstrated ability to manage a large team - direct, indirect, and cross functional

Leading through vision and values

Develop leaders and manage talents

Personal impact, ownership, and accountability

Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

>10 years functional design experience in footwear and apparel design

> 8 years leadership experience

Degree in Design or related field

Fluent in English

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at adidas means championing individual uniqueness and cultivating a culture of belonging in which everyone can create at their best. We embrace diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and seek to create a workforce that reflects our consumers and communities.

adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage. Employees are able to enroll in adidas' 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 14 weeks of paid parental leave.

Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years. We officially returned to office in a hybrid work environment, working 3 days in office and 2 days remote. The working location of this position is Portland, Oregon. Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.