Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization
At adidas, team sports are at the heart of who we are. As Senior Manager (Category Lead) for Team Sports in Southeast Asia, you will own and lead the regional category strategy, ensuring adidas delivers credible innovation, commercial scale, and strong consumer relevance across diverse SEA markets.
This role is accountable for translating Global and Emerging Markets category and franchise strategies into regionally relevant, consumer-centric, and commercially strong assortments, balancing elite performance credibility with scalable commercial opportunities, cultural relevance, and strong fan connection. You will act as the regional Team Sports category authority, shaping category direction, franchise priorities, and commercial success across SEA markets and channels.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Leadership
- Own and lead the regional category strategy for Team Sports Categories.
- Lead future category planning, identifying whitespace opportunities, portfolio gaps, and long-term growth drivers across SEA markets.
- Translate category, franchise, and future growth priorities into regional commercial and assortment strategies.
- Define category objectives, KPIs, and success metrics across markets and channels.
- Act as the regional category expert and thought leader, influencing key stakeholders with clear insights and recommendations, working particularly close with the Brand Activation, Commercial and Go-to-Market teams.
Assortment & Line Architecture
- Lead assortment strategy and category line planning, ensuring the right balance of brand heat, volume drivers, and commercial productivity.
- Own range KPIs such as Category growth, Range size, range efficiency, country overlaps and Go-In-Margin.
- Partner closely with MOPS and GTM teams to ensure locally relevant, focused, scalable and commercially productive plans.
- Partner closely with Planning & Insights teams to translate analytics into sharper category decisions, forecasting inputs, and portfolio optimization opportunities.
- Work with Merchandising teams to drive strong range architecture across DTC and wholesale.
- Continuously optimize assortments using sell‑in, sell‑out, and consumer data.
- Deliver on global and local milestones for smooth and successful sell in meetings. Lead category readiness for seasonal GTM milestones, ensuring clear assortment direction and franchise priorities ahead of sell-in moments.
Marketplace & Commercial Performance
- Partner with Go-to-Market teams to shape sell‑in strategies, franchise management, key account priorities, and marketplace activations.
- Balance regional scale with local market needs, enabling efficiency as well as tailored execution where required.
- Drive post‑season analysis and buy reviews for insights to improve future cycles.
- Own category pricing architecture and Go-In-Margin tracking, balancing brand ambition, market competitiveness, and commercial profitability.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Brand, GTM, MOPS, Demand Planning, Supply Chain, and Finance teams.
- Serve as the key link between Emerging Markets Category teams and SEA markets, translating strategy both ways.
- Support brand and marketing teams with category stories, franchise focus, and product narratives.
Consumer & Market Insights
- Embed consumer insights, trend research, and marketplace intelligence into category decisions.
- Monitor category trends, franchise performance, and competitive landscape to shape strategic category choices.
- Champion a consumer‑centric mindset in all planning and execution.
People & Stakeholder Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop category team members or dotted‑line market counterparts as applicable.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships across the regional and global matrix.
- Influence without authority in a complex, fast‑paced organization.
- Act as a role model for adidas values and leadership behaviors.
Key Relationships
- Internal: EM Category Teams, SEA Market Leadership, Brand, GTM, MOPS, Commercial, Demand Planning, SCM, Finance
- External (as relevant): Key wholesale and retail partners
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Professional Experience
- 8–12 years of experience in category management, merchandising, or commercial roles, ideally within a global consumer or sportswear brand.
- Proven experience working in regional or multi‑market environments, preferably in Southeast Asia.
- Strong understanding of retail, wholesale, and DTC dynamics.
Functional Skills
- Deep expertise in assortment planning, line architecture and pricing, and category performance management.
- Strong commercial and analytical acumen; able to turn data into clear actions.
- Experience working within seasonal GTM processes & milestones.
- Fluent in Excel, merchandising tools, and analytics platforms.
Leadership & Behaviors
- Strategic thinker with a strong execution mindset.
- Confident communicator with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving alignment.
- Collaborative, inclusive, and consumer‑obsessed.
