Manager Category- Football Apparel Licensed- Europe

This role helps shape the future of Football Apparel Licensed in Europe and takes ownership of one of adidas's most visible and emotionally engaging categories. It translates global strategies into relevant, commercially successful plans for European consumers, markets and channels, acting as the key category interface for European clubs and federations from range creation through launch. The role brings market, consumer and channel insights into global decision-making and partners closely with Product, Go-to-Market, Sports Marketing, Demand Planning and Sales to drive sustainable growth.

• Own the seasonal range strategy and selection for Football Apparel Licensed in Europe and lead the relevant decisions on range, forecast and pricing.
• Act as the key European category interface for clubs and federations, creating clear alignment and decision-making across global, European and local teams.
• Drive product availability and launch readiness, identify opportunities and risks early, and coordinate execution with Product, Demand Planning, Sports Marketing, markets and channels.
• Provide fact-based commercial input to Global Product and Go-to-Market, ensuring consumer, market and channel needs are reflected in seasonal decisions.
• Analyse category performance, competition and market potential, develop clear recommendations and contribute to net sales, margin and brand KPIs.
• Ensure operational excellence, data quality and reliable execution across relevant seasonal processes, systems, approvals and stakeholder communication.
• Support key product launches, sell-ins and presentations with compelling category narratives, robust data and clear recommendations.
• Coach and develop junior team members and contribute to a high-performing, accountable and collaborative team environment.

• University degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Minimum four years of relevant experience in category management, merchandising, ranging, Go-to-Market, product marketing and/or sales.
• Experience in category management, merchandising, ranging, Go-to-Market or a comparable commercial product environment.
• Experience working across multiple markets, channels and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Passion for football, products and consumers, with a strong interest in driving brand and business impact.
• Strong commercial mindset and the ability to translate data and insights into clear recommendations and sound decisions.
• High ownership, learning agility and motivation to lead visible topics independently and drive them through to completion.
• Strong analytical and structured approach, with a high standard of quality and execution.
• Compelling communication and influencing skills, with a collaborative approach across cross-functional, local and global teams.
• Ability to navigate a dynamic environment, diverse perspectives and multiple priorities with confidence.
• Fluent in English.
• Flexibility to travel internationally.

• An additional European language is an advantage.
• Experience in football, licensed products, sport or fashion/lifestyle is an advantage.