adidas Hiring for Snr. Specialist Category Management – Running EM at Gurugram, Haryana, India Full Time

Snr. Specialist Category Management – Running EM (524730)

📍 Location: Gurgaon, India

📅 Experience: 4-6 Years

Purpose & Overall Relevance to the Organization

Supports the Sr. Manager, BU Running EM in executing short- and medium-term objectives for the category, ensuring delivery across all KPIs. Executes Global Concepts-to-Consumer strategies in a locally relevant manner for Emerging Markets (EM), working closely with the Category Manager, BU Running in each cluster. This ensures alignment with diverse consumer needs and distribution channels.

Manages the seasonal BU range-building and alignment process within the parameters set by the EM CTC Range Architecture team, including:

• Category input
• ONE EM Range selection
• Definition of Mandatory Range
• Internal GTM meetings

Supports the development of a competitive product range for the dedicated category, ensuring it meets the needs of the EM Hub and Clusters while being competitive in structure, pricing, and margins.

Collaborates with global and cluster counterparts to identify business opportunities, driving the EM Running strategy forward.

Key Responsibilities

• Tracking and data analytics for ONE EM RANGE KPIs (e.g., Business on Hand, YTD performance).
• Act as the system champion for the BU (RMA, RMT, GTM milestones, sell-in tools, etc.).
• Responsible for regular sell-through tracking of key campaigns and franchises.
• Lead all BU ranging activities in RMA, ensuring adherence to seasonal timelines as guided by the MOPS Team.
• Provide commercial input to Global by conducting competition analysis in Running.
• Understand the EM consumer retail environment, including distribution points, share of buy, competitor ranges, and pricing strategies.

Key Relationships

• Category Manager, BU Running (each Cluster)
• EM Hub CtC and MOPS team
• Global Running BU
• EM Business Intelligence teams, Strategy Teams & Demand Planning teams
• EM DTC, WHS, and E-com Excellence teams

KPIs

• EM Net Sales, Category Growth, Key Franchise Growth/share of NS, and Go-in Margin
• EM BU campaign sell-through targets
• EM Category Range Efficiency, SKU targets
• Compliance with EM Ranging Milestones (RMA)
• Adherence to global deadlines while providing meaningful Category Commercial Input

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Passion for sports and deep knowledge of product ranging
• Exposure to merchandising approaches, including:
• Assortment planning
• FPST, Open-to-Buy, launch & exit calendars, rate of sales
• VM planning & execution
• Ability to guide optimal range building based on segmentation strategy and option plans (product type, gender, price points) for different channels.
• Proactive mindset – engaging and impact-oriented, with an end-to-end perspective.
• Ability to work in an agile environment with diverse cultures and nationalities.
• Strong commercial acumen – excellent numerical and analytical skills.
• Ability to travel, both domestically and internationally, as required.

Requisite Education & Experience

• University degree in Business, ideally with a focus on Marketing and Sales, or equivalent professional experience.
• 3+ years of Merchandising experience, including Sales and Retail exposure, ideally in sporting goods, fashion, or lifestyle brands.
• Fluent English (verbal and written).
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).