Manager, Innovation Incubation

This role manages the day-to-day operation of an innovation incubation space within Product Development & Operations, translating athlete and business needs into concepts, prototypes, validated solutions and near-production demonstrators. It contributes to Product Development and Sourcing's vision of building the most agile, most competitive, most innovative and most sustainable supply base in the industry. The position supports an open, collaborative incubation environment that brings together adidas teams, suppliers, technology partners and academic experts, working closely with Engineering & Manufacturing Innovation, Global Brands, Creative Direction & Innovation, regional Innovation Centres and Concept teams, Global Sourcing, Finance, Costing and Legal, as well as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers, factory technical teams and technology providers.

• 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 prioritisation 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 utilisation, readiness and investment needs.
• Build effective working relationships across Brand Innovation, E&MI, regional Innovation Centres 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, utilisation, 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.

• 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 industrialisation.
• 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, industrialisation 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.
• Fluency in English and Chinese, written and spoken.
• Strong Microsoft Office and AI skills.

The company believes that embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into its culture and talent processes gives its employees a sense of belonging and its brand a real competitive advantage.