Director Product Marketing - Basketball Footwear

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• Recognize sport and consumer insights 
• Heavily influence category direction and drive its implementation
• Reduce strategies to tactical plans
• Steer a cross-functional product creation team to deliver the category vision
• Lead and develop the category team

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a team and develop their functional and social skills using available resources to create a top performing team 
• Set and manage strategic category direction; ensure cross-functional alignment 
• Identify new business opportunities to drive innovation and / or commerciality
• Develop an "all for one attitude" within the team to ensure smooth cooperation with interlinked departments 
• Have full understanding of the product creation process to drive it forward 
• Be a role model for all team members in regards to strategic direction and the product creation process 
• Show leadership through living the brand values while fostering a performance culture 
• Manage and develop optimum relationship with cross-functional teams and with interlinked departments to enable an efficient product creation process  
• Challenge the cross-functional team to ensure creation of industry leading products
• Analyse and report category business performance to ensure achievement of category KPIs 
• Positively represent the category both internally and externally  
• Work with the CtC (Concept to Consumer), Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing teams throughout the season to define strategic marketing direction 
• Be a competent partner for category and ranging discussions with markets and retailers 
• Define projects to optimize category performance and steer to conclusion 
• Build an understanding of product information systems and the interlinking functions – clarity on respective timelines  

Key Relationships: 

• Steer a strong relationship and ensure constant dialogue/feedback with your team and cross functional partners and creation centers.
• Cross-functional team (Design, Development, GTM, Materials, Costing, Planning)
• Markets and relevant key retailers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

: 

• Manage a team to create industry leading products 
• Inspire, coach and lead; set framework for performance and growth
• In-depth knowledge of respective product category, Basketball Performance Footwear
• Advanced analytical skills, be solution driven and result oriented, strong business orientation
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment
• Strong communication skills
• Lateral thinking and challenge status quo
• Profound consumer, market and retail knowledge especially in regard to different needs of different countries/ regions
• Step up to conflicts and work towards a diplomatic solution
• Execute change management
• Cooperate effectively to maintain and develop trustful relationships
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally
• Passion for sports

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications: 

• College degree, preferably in marketing/business /textile/fashion
• Minimum of 7 years Product Marketing experience with Performance FTW or comparable background
• Experience in managing and developing direct reports
• Strong leadership skills 
• Experience in trade or sales is helpful
• Fluent in English 
• PC skills (MS Office programs)