Design Director - Adidas Originals (China)

Adidas

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• Develop short calendars industry-leading creative solutions to extend the global adidas Originals apparel collection for the China market and amplify the relevancy and desirability of adidas brand image, from sell-in to sell-out (consumer-facing)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the creative development of concepts that extend the Originals apparel strategy with a clear focus on China market needs across women’s and unisex category

• Develop consumer-centric creative strategies with a heavy focus on the outerwear category

• Collaborate with Product Design team to ensure holistic storytelling

• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to ensure consumer- and brand-focus

• High-frequency communication to Germany HQ key design team members to maximize harmonization between local product creation and originals global collection

• Lead the execution of creative strategies to ensure end-to-end creative excellence from sell-in to sell-out (consumer-facing)

• Create together with the direct reports highly relevant top-class design solutions and ensure the accurate translation of those into tech packs, which include all relevant sketches, artworks, fit, material, color, and trimming information

• Follow up on creative strategy on sample level and ensure maximum market and consumer relevancy

• Review and approve production stages of creative execution

• Maximize results within the given budget and timeframes

• Can-do mindset, seeking solutions driven within the complex multiple overlapping creation calendars with limited time and resource

• Present and communicate creative solutions with clarity, effectively selling ideas to a variety of stakeholders

• Identify opportunities for improvement and change and proactively initiate own proposals/projects

• Grow, mentor, and support the direct reports

• Seek out new Design resources that can deliver world-class results

Key Relationships:

• Design Director, Senior Designer, direct Design reports, Graphic designers

• Product Marketing

• Product Development, pattern maker

• C2C

• External Creative Resources (agencies, freelancers, ateliers, photographers, etc)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Abode Creative Illustrator, Photoshop & other design apps: expert level required

• Strong visual conceptualization and verbal presentation skills with the ability to create and showcase impactful, exciting visual concept

• Strong knowledge of apparel products that must include a good level of understanding of fabrication, material, trimming, pattern, and graphics as a product design owner

• Art Direction of photoshoots, pre-press reviews, and approvals are bonus

• IT skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint: advanced /Outlook

• Language: English: excellent; Knowledge of Chinese is an advantage

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Under-graduate level Design education or a combination thereof

• Solid education and advanced experience in the creative development of communication tools

• At least 5-7 years experience in the Sporting Goods/Fashion Industry or Design on a managerial level

• Design experience in the Outerwear category will be an advantage

• Design experience in both gender Menswear & Womenswear will be an advantage

• Proven experience with the entire design process (project scope and time planning, design steps, production/execution of design solution, pre-press processes)

• Passion for adidas and it’s mission

• Passion for sports, culture, fashion, design

• At adidas, we strongly believe that embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our culture and talent processes gives our employees a sense of belonging and our brand a real competitive advantage.

• – Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You –

• By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.