Manager, Innovation Incubation

Adidas

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Manager, Innovation Incubation

Purpose

• Contribute to Product Development and Sourcing’s vision to build the Most Agile, Most Competitive, Most Innovative & Sustainable Supply Base in the industry.
• Manage day-to-day innovation incubation activities, translating athlete and business needs into concepts, prototypes, validated solutions and near-production demonstrators.
• Support an open, collaborative incubation environment that brings together adidas teams, suppliers, technology partners and academic experts to deliver solutions that meet agreed expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the innovation incubation space in line with the agreed mission, operating model, resources and success measures.

• Coordinate the collaboration, engineering, prototyping and validation environment, including equipment, materials, testing and safe operations.

• Manage incubation projects from problem definition and concept development through prototyping, testing, iteration and near-production demonstration.

• Support project prioritization and provide recommendations to continue, pivot, transfer or stop activities.

• Coordinate rapid prototyping and structured experimentation using internal, supplier and third-party capabilities.

• Maintain facilities, equipment, software, skills and safety standards, and monitor utilization, readiness and investment needs.

• Build effective working relationships across Brand Innovation, E&MI, regional Innovation Centers and supply partners.

• Implement best practices and support technical training and knowledge-sharing across projects and partners.

• Evaluate feasibility, manufacturability, repeatability, cost, IP, supply chain and scalability, and document recommendations for next steps.

• Track assigned projects, identify and escalate risks, and report progress, utilization, learning and business impact.

• Maintain relevant external contacts and monitor emerging capabilities that can support innovation projects.

• Ensure all sourcing operations and practices comply with adidas’ Responsible Sourcing & Purchasing Policy, adidas standards and applicable legal requirements.

• Share technical knowledge, support colleagues and contribute to an inclusive working environment that reflects Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

• Key Relationships

• Engineering & Manufacturing Innovation

• Global Brands, Creative Direction & Innovation

• Regional adidas Innovation Centers and Concept teams

• Global Sourcing, Finance, Costing, and Legal

• Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers, factory technical teams, and technology providers

• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong project execution and coordination skills, with the ability to translate opportunities into clear incubation activities and deliverables.

• Good understanding of product creation, manufacturing engineering, materials, tooling, machinery, industrialization and the transition from prototype to scalable production.

• Practical knowledge of rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, digital design and computational tools, process engineering, Design of Experiments, root-cause analysis and technical validation.

• Strong project management, planning and reporting skills, with the ability to coordinate resources, facilities, budgets and stakeholders.

• Effective collaboration, presentation and communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Fluent in English and Chinese, written and spoken.

• Strong Microsoft Office and AI skills.

• Requisite Education and Experience

• University degree in engineering, manufacturing, materials science or a related discipline, or an equivalent qualification.

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in manufacturing innovation, product or process engineering, technology development or industrialization.

• AT ADIDAS WE HAVE A WINNING CULTURE. BUT TO WIN, PHYSICAL POWER IS NOT ENOUGH. JUST LIKE ATHLETES OUR EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL STRENGTH IN THEIR GAME. WE FOSTER THE ATHLETE’S MINDSET THROUGH A SET OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT TO ENABLE AND DEVELOP IN OUR PEOPLE AND THAT ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE: THIS IS HOW WE WIN WHILE PLAYING FAIR.

• COURAGE: Speak up when you see an opportunity; step up when you see a need..

• OWNERSHIP: Pick up the ball. Be proactive, take responsibility and follow-through.

• INNOVATION: Elevate to win. Be curious, test and learn new and better ways of doing things.

• TEAMPLAY: Win together. Work collaboratively and cultivate a shared mindset.

• INTEGRITY: Play by the rules. Hold yourself and others accountable to our company’s standards.

• RESPECT: Value all players. Display empathy, be inclusive and show dignity to all.

• 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.

Job Title:

• Manager, Innovation Incubation

TEAM:

• Product Development & Operations

Location

Guangzhou

State:

GD

Country/Region:

CN

Contract Type:

Full time

Number:

551637

Date:

Nov 3, 2026

Apply now »

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