Senior Manager Sales Running Specialty {m/f/d] - Cluster Central - Temp Until 12.31.2025

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

Ensure and drive profitable and sustainable sales and market share growth in assigned customers and product categories by implementing the adidas AG marketing and sales strategy according to defined consumers and target groups.

Your Role:

• Lead RUNNING FIELD-FORCE team Central (3+ FTEs)
• Develop and drive adidas bricks & mortar strategy, managing pan-european key customer RUNNING EXPERTS

Key Responsibilities:

• Knowledge and application of adidas strategy within the assigned customers and categories.
• Build professional and personal relationships with key decision makers and buyers of assigned customers as a prerequisite for adidas to become the 'preferred supplier'.
• Represent assigned customers internally as 'ambassador' to all functions and vice versa and manage interfaces
• Develop account strategies, formalizing them in strategic account plans and get these signed off by the (Senior) Director Sales
• Lead and Execute sell-in / sell-out as well as formalization based on account marketing plans.
• Continuously monitor sell-out and backlog to ensure reliable and cost-effective supply to the customer. Identify and capture sales opportunities for the customer.
• Negotiate and enforce adidas trade terms and conditions.
• Leverage market insights - in terms of knowledge of the competitive landscape and trends in relevant distribution channels - to influence buying decisions leading to adidas sales and growth
• Proactively develop, manage and execute creative grassroots activities with customers to enhance brand image as well as drive demand with customers (generating sales growth)
• Develop and execute strategies to advance the client's digital capabilities as an omnichannel player in the wholesale digital marketplace
• Support of the (Senior) Director in strategic account management (including analysis and preparation of sales figures, participation in the creation of concepts and business models, identification of potentials and measures, analyses of customers, competitors, market environment and market developments, etc.).
• Independent key account management in terms of sales target planning, potential analysis, increase of sell-through, healthy & sustainable increase of market share with defined customers
• Number and data-based work through targeted use as well as knowledge of customer specific sell-out, sell-in figures and digital KPI's

Key Relationships:

• Sales Management Team
• GTM
• WHS Activation
• Customer Service
• Sales Coordination
• Finance

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Very good commercial knowledge and business acumen
• Negotiation and (re)presentation skills and confident manner
• Very good influencing and communication skills
• Results oriented
• Strong team player with the proven ability to work cross-functionally in order to achieve objectives and targets
• Ability to influence business partners in other functional areas to build consensus and understanding
• Very good understanding of retail sales practices and ability to create practical and logical assortment plans based on selling space, inventory turns and sell through.
• Mental flexibility, initiative, and determination
• Fluency in English and German (written and spoken) is mandatory; additional languages are an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office package, with emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint.
• Digital mindset and good knowledge of digital media
• Willingness to travel

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree in business administration or sports economics
• 5+ years' relevant work experience (Sales, Sporting Goods, Product Marketing, Account Marketing)
• Industry experience: sports apparel/footwear/accessories, fashion or FMCG

Hiring Manager: Andreas Rester