Senior Manager, Costing (Apparel)

The Senior Manager, Costing (Apparel) is a key player in Global Sourcing, driving the function's vision to be the most agile, most competitive, most digitalised and cleanest supply base in the industry. The role drives the overall costing performance of the Liaison Office through the implementation of Sourcing Costing processes and standards, assuring company go-in margin targets are met by assisting supplier and merchandising teams and by optimising landed costs through a clear understanding of economic trends and trade opportunities. The position works closely with Global Sourcing (Sourcing Operations and Costing), Global Operations (Business Unit Costing Operations) and external Tier 1 costing stakeholders.

• Provide costing leadership within the Liaison Office to ensure Creation Centres Costing and Brands receive accurate information according to the costing calendar timelines.
• Provide guidance and assistance to Sourcing Operations Costing in improving the costing performance, efficiency and effectiveness of Tier 1 (T1), and ensure factory-specific costing strategies are implemented as planned.
• Assist Sourcing Operations and LO Manufacturing Excellence teams in achieving brand margin targets and process improvement initiatives by focusing on all cost drivers to improve understanding of costs, efficiency and overheads that positively impact margins.
• Lead and drive costing audits and propose improvement areas with supplier partners.
• Drive compliance and improvement of global costing policies, procedures and new systems by providing feedback to Sourcing Costing and Sourcing Operations.
• Build, manage and roll out Costing Standards within regions to achieve fact-based, transparent and sustainable costing.
• Provide economic trend information, including labour rates, inflation, exchange rates and government policy change, necessary to formulate sourcing strategies, global costing policies and costing tools.
• Train and assist Sourcing Operations teams and T1s in the understanding and application of cost drivers (e.g. Yield, Print, Labour & Overhead), costing frameworks, policies and processes, including the application of consistent, accurate and transparent cost sheets.
• Lead and manage communication of LO costing reports at key development milestones.
• Ensure all sourcing operations and practices fully comply with adidas' Responsible Sourcing & Purchasing Policy, adidas standards and legal requirements, while managing the relevant processes internally and externally.
• Role model leadership to foster a culture of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion that strives for an inclusive workplace.

• Strong knowledge and understanding of both product construction and manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of country, regional and global cost drivers and of the end-to-end costing and sourcing process.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to manage large quantities of data from multiple sources.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, influencing, people and communication skills.
• Fluency in English and Chinese, both written and spoken.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Strong understanding of all components affecting landed cost calculation, including relevant duty rates by selling region, and awareness of trade agreements relevant to the production region.
• University degree, or technical degree in apparel, footwear or manufacturing.
• Minimum 7+ years of experience in the apparel or footwear industry with costing responsibility.

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.