Senior Specialist Category Management- Training and Specialist Sport - EM South

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation: The purpose of the Category Management team is to develop product ranges by category to best meet the needs of the local consumer, profitably.  For this role specifically: Deliver a globally aligned and locally relevant product range for EM South (EMS) which delivers the company sales growth aspirations per sales channel . Sustainably grow profitability and market share for the category. Be the product expert and provide the relevant support for all functions locally.  Key Responsibilities:  •Work closely with the Manager Category Management- Running to develop and define the Training + Specialist Sport product strategy (including lifecycle management) for the local market. This includes the localized product strategy for all events/partnerships.  •Deliver a compelling range/concept selection for EMS by balancing local consumer, global brand and commercial considerations and supporting the overall business strategy of the channels + events/partnerships.  •Support GTM process to engage channels, customers and events/partners in order to collaboratively build the strongest viable product mix.  •Deliver net sales and profitability (GIM) by managing pricing, margin, and the product mix.  •Ownership of product demand forecasting which most accurately reflects the customer and consumer demand in the market. •Seasonal analysis of marketplace to understand trends, competitor product assortments and pricing.  •Proactively drive cluster range enhancements (including product development) that meet local needs and reflect differentiation in marketplace where required. Work closely with the Hub team to deliver these. •Own the range architecture for the cluster considering range guidance, brand focus and local pricing requirements.  •Monitor and maintain the accuracy of product data available to the business via the required systems •Conduct monthly analysis of sell-through performance, sell out, of the relevant categories and make adjustments to the range where necessary. •Support seasonal Brand Activations by aligning with BA/Omni team on Marketing plans; communication tools; activation tools; and by providing sports marketing support to ensure our partners get access to the best of adidas.   Key Relationships: •EMS Category Management + MOPS team. •Cluster Demand Planning team •EMS commercial channel teams (DTC, Ecom, WHS) •EM BU’s •Global SpoMa/Events   KPIs:  •Net Sales and GIM% •Range efficiency targets; range size and efficiency  •Market Share    Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:  •Merchandising, category management/planning, assortment planning crucial •Product development experience beneficial  •Commercial experience crucial  •Deep understanding of the Sport + Lifestyle market in Sub-Saharan Africa •Strong presentation/communication and influencing skills •Strong numerical / analytical skills  •Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office – Excel and PowerPoint  •Structured, organized and process orientated  •Ability to work effectively within a team environment under pressure  •Industry: Preferably in sport/lifestyle/fashion retail or brand  •Exposure: Commercial Channels (DTC/ Ecom/ WHS) + Partnership Management    Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:  •University degree (Fashion/ Consumer Science/ Marketing) •+5 years experience in category management/range building •Fluent in English