Manager, Costing Footwear

This role is a key player in Global Sourcing, driving the vision to be the most agile, competitive, digitalised and cleanest supply base in the industry. It manages costing performance of Sourcing Liaison Offices through implementation of Sourcing Costing strategies, policies, processes, systems and standards. The role assures company go-in margin targets are met and optimises landed costs through a clear understanding of economic trends and trade opportunities.

• Ensure execution of all standard costing processes within area of responsibility, leading relevant costing teams and the Tier 1 (T1) costing team to achieve target Free On Board (FOB) goals within timeline/schedule and ensuring implementation of adidas policies
• Procedures and costing strategies within the supply base.
• Train and assist Sourcing Operations teams and T1s in understanding and applying cost drivers (e.g. Yield, Print, Labour & Overhead), costing frameworks and standards, policies and processes, including consistent, accurate and transparent cost sheets.
• Collect relevant data/information for selected products/ranges or categories for projects and participate as a project member.
• Execute costing audits and propose improvement areas with supplier partners.
• Facilitate compliance and improvement of global costing policies, procedures and new systems by providing feedback to Sourcing Costing and Sourcing Operations.
• Facilitate cost saving suggestion discussions with product creation teams, including proposals for yield efficiency, mould cavity etc., and act as point of contact for escalations of Surcharge.
• Collaborate closely with Development, Materials and other key functions within the LO and respective factories to ensure products are developed to cost targets.
• Ensure all sourcing operations and practices fully comply with adidas' Responsible Sourcing & Purchasing Policy, adidas standards and legal requirements, managing relevant processes internally and externally.
• Role model leadership to foster a culture of Diversity Equity & Inclusion that strives for an inclusive workplace.

• Strong understanding of both product construction and manufacturing operations, specialising in product costing, product development, or production.
• Strong understanding of country, regional and global cost drivers and the end-to-end costing/sourcing process.
• Strong analytical and systematic approach to consolidate and communicate information.
• Good presentation, negotiation, influencing, people and communication skills.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Strong Microsoft Office skills and ability to work with Product Data Management Systems.
• University degree, or technical degree in apparel, footwear or manufacturing.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in the apparel and footwear industry with costing responsibility.

The company believes that embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into its culture and talent processes gives employees a sense of belonging and the brand a competitive advantage.