Senior Manager Materials Strategy Footwear (m/f/d) | Materials Creation

Location

Herzogenaurach | Germany

Job description

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

We’ll never launch a product unless we consider it perfect. Our product development teams create every shirt, every shoe and every piece of equipment for thousands of athletes and fashion lovers as if it was one of a kind. And it truly is, as they weave their passion into every single product. But translating designs, drawings and renderings into real products requires a lot of decision making.

As Senior Manager Materials Strategy you are a key contributor in the product creation process by ensuring the end-to-end availability of innovative materials which support the strategic marketing & design direction for enabling commercial success within a specific Business Unit (BU). The selection of materials has to be made in alignment with various stakeholders and attending different operational aspects such as calendar timelines, target prices, sourcing policy and quality standards among others. In this role you will act as an integral part of the BU, setting direction for Materials Development while at the same time representing Global Materials Creation in BU-specific projects and decisions. You will also actively communicate to material suppliers, and you will lead the definition and presentation of the seasonal Materials Strategy on behalf of the BU.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the main contact and consultant for all material-related questions from Product Development, Marketing and Design.
• Steer the material selection process by leading regular cross-functional meetings within the BU to facilitate discussions around materials.
• Inform Materials Development through the creation of sharp Material Briefs which accurately capture the needs of the BU around specific materials and products.
• Create a seasonal Materials Strategy for the BU and present it to material suppliers and to all relevant internal stakeholders.
• Stay informed on ongoing seasonal material developments and provide guidance to Materials Development when requested.
• Lead material consolidation efforts within the BU and ensure adherence to the efficiency targets set by Global Materials Creation.

• Develop tools and reports that support the BU Product Creation teams on making fact-based and faster decisions around materials.

• Provide material risk management analysis for the BU upon request. Collaborate with Materials Development and Materials Sourcing to ensure alignment on allocation decisions for development and mass production of materials.
• Seek for continuous improvement through regular exchanges with the extended Materials Strategy community. Identify possible synergies across BUs and enforce know-how sharing around materials where possible.
• Collaborate with Materials Data & Infrastructure on analyzing relevant reports of material management data. Ensure proper follow-up within the BU.
• Create, maintain, and communicate Material relevant timelines. Ensure representation of Materials key milestones in Product Creation Calendars.
• Represent the point of view of the BU in cross-functional initiatives and projects around materials.
• Collaborate with Materials Innovation and support the launch of new, innovative materials and/or technologies in full alignment with the BU commercial needs.
• Support BU during team travel for product reviews. Identify and fix any material-specific issues.
• If required, act as line manager with full responsibility over other team members. Mentor them, coach them and show positive leadership presence.

Optional: People Management

• Manage team members by providing clear direction/targets and creating a motivational and supportive work environment in which employees are coached, trained, and provided with career opportunities through development.

Key Relationships:

• Materials Development
• Materials Innovation
• Materials Sourcing
• Product Development
• Product Marketing

• Product Design
• Planning
• Costing
• Suppliers Tier 1 and Tier 2

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Solution-oriented mindset.
• Solid understanding of material properties, production processes and T2 supplier landscape.
• Solid understanding of the footwear creation process and T1 supplier landscape.
• Strong planning and organization skills, ability to multi-task and manage priorities.
• Ability to work with people at all hierarchy levels in an organization.
• Experience in working with multiple senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage various projects simultaneously.
• English language proficiency.
• Ability to work with MS Office.
• Ability to work with internal material data base and reporting tool.
• Availability for Business travel.
• Continuous learning/growth mindset

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• College/ university degree or comparable degree/education in engineering, preferably in materials engineering, chemical engineering, textile engineering or other related field (synthetics, films, knits, injected materials, etc.)
• Alternatively, combination of relevant education, experience, and training  
• At least 4 years of relevant work experience in material development, product development or associated field.

Job tags

Salary