Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Manages the material development and research for respective materials category (fabrics, trims) for the Creation Center. Ensures product integrity and product excellence by working closely with product development, design, marketing and all related support services to identify and commercializes materials that meet or exceed adidas quality standards and business needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Under the guidance of Senior manager or Manager materials development, to be the key contact and consultant for all material related questions for all internal interfaces.
• Responsible for seasonal material developments (fabrics and trims), ensure buy ready performance for respective materials. Initiate and monitor all material developments (work together with suppliers, Sourcing, Quality and Creation Center Development) and be responsible for initial material price negotiations with suppliers during development stage, Work with product development through the commercialization process for assigned categories.
• Ensure availability of correct materials data in MLM, FLEX for technical data, cost, toolbox, lifecycle
• Maintain the materials library and work on continuously improving the setup and tools for the product creation teams
• Work closely with the internal material team to identify the creation center needs for innovation and follow the direction
• Execute the strategy of material consolidation to improve material efficiency
• Be an effective partner to sourcing to help execute the supplier strategy and seasonal allocations based on suppliers’ capabilities, product range, price, development speed and degree of innovation for the respective materials category

Key Relationships:

• Marketing
• Design
• Sourcing
• Product operation
• T1/T2 Suppliers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Basic knowledge of material (fabric construction)
• Good communication skills, ability to effectively communicate (both written and verbal)
• Ability to anticipate problems, offers solutions, and address issues for materials
• Ability to cope with change, act comfortably with risk and uncertainty
• Ability to travel, domestic and international as required by business needs
• Have self-learning ability, team player, able to work under pressure.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Good IT-/EDP-skills including Excel and Word. Comfortable with learning internal Product Data Management systems

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Four-year college or university degree with emphasis in textile engineering or related area of focus preferred
• Minimum 1-2 years of progressive experience in the textile industry with emphasis in apparel fabric development