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 </div