Adidas

M3 Mens Senior Apparel Designer

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

This role is crucial for achieving Adidas' creative vision and overseeing the development of new collections across the design process. The Mens Senior Apparel Designer will lead the design team in analyzing the company’s outdoor apparel line, generating new design concepts, optimizing workflow, and leveraging existing designs. The role ensures the quality and consistency of design outputs across all platforms, channels, and media. The designer will collaborate closely with the Design Director and cross-functional leaders (e.g., Product Managers, Marketing Managers) to align design goals with business objectives and user needs.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute seasonal creative narratives, ranges, and product stories, ensuring alignment across product types, colors, materials, silhouettes, and graphics.
• Oversee the entire creative process, identifying industry trends in color, materials, and graphics, influencing merchandising and assortment strategies.
• Translate abstract business concepts and customer needs into creative design solutions.
• Take ownership of the creative vision and ensure high-quality output from team members.
• Confidently pitch ideas and present the creative vision to stakeholders and team members.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire the design team through solid people management and leadership skills.
• Ensure all creative output aligns with the brand’s identity and meets a high qualitative standard.
• Demonstrate agility in managing unexpected projects, feedback, and factors from conception to completion, meeting deadlines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with the brand's strategic priorities.
• Champion innovative ideas, ask insightful questions, and take calculated risks.
• Drive the identification of long-term and seasonal trends within the industry to contribute to innovative retail strategies.
• Optimize the creative process to align final products with both brand image and commercial objectives.
• Set a high standard for design excellence within the organization.
• Lead and mentor the design team, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Create meaningful, engaging experiences for users while developing your own skills and career.
• Ensure compliance with Corporate Identity guidelines and legal restrictions within the category.

Key Stakeholders:

• Product Marketing (PM)
• Product Development (DA)
• Business Unit (BU)
• Senior Design Director
• Design Director
• Design Team Members
• External Partners

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree/Master's in Fashion Design or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum 5+ years as a senior-level designer, with preference given to those with experience in sports brands and a proven track record of successful projects.
• At least 2-3 years of management and leadership experience, demonstrating the ability to lead teams toward achieving strategic goals.
• In-depth knowledge of functional materials/technical aspects and strong hard skills.
• High sensitivity to trends and the ability to incorporate them into design work.
• Experience in collaboration projects (crossover fashion & functional) with external partners is preferred.
• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders to understand requirements and create plans that meet or exceed expectations while being open to feedback.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate the creative vision, concepts, ideas, and solutions clearly to stakeholders, teams, and clients.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment, turning abstract ideas into concrete design solutions.
• Enthusiastic about collaborating with distributed teams and stakeholders to deliver design solutions.
• Fluency in English and Mandarin with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and MS Office.
• Applicants should submit their portfolios along with their applications.