Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Drive the development of procurement practices across categories including:

• Execute tactical buying process of low and mid value item across all categories and support category managers on the definition and deployment of Sourcing Strategy for the Cluster

• Realization of stakeholder management to maximize savings and procurement’s value contribution

• Supporting in contract management activities and ensuring, when required, a proper supplier relationship management

• Assure achieving of procurement compliance targets including policies, strategies, and processes

• Deliver committed annual Procurement savings and Global Business Services SLA and KPI’s

• Lead procurement content design, set up and maintenance

Key Responsibilities:

Execution of tactical buying process

• Analyze mid value tactical buys, facilitate high value tactical buy execution with the responsible category manager

• Ensure compliance throughout the entire process

• Search for potential suppliers, either existing or new ones

• Conduct RFXs (negotiation, supplier selection) and support responding to suppliers in case of commercial or system related questions

• Facilitate alignment of technical requirements between internal stakeholders and suppliers

• For selected tactical buys, follow-up on technical evaluations with internal stakeholders to ensure timeliness of tendering process

• Execute negotiation, supplier selection and determine Purchase Order (PO) terms and conditions

Execution of content activities

• Set up and enable procurement content, such as e-catalogues, forms and connections to content marketplaces and external tools

• Identify improvement opportunities for additional content creation, with a focus on e-catalogues and their enablement on the procurement portal after alignment with the respective Category Managers.

• Propose continuous improvement initiatives based on observations from daily operations, e.g. buying channel optimization possibilities

• Act as a key contact within procurement for all questions and queries around procurement content

Execution of eSourcing activities

• Support the sourcing & category management team with planning, executing and analyzing eSourcing events

• Lead eSourcing project design and monitor E2E eSourcing process

Key Relationships:

• Internal: Global / Regional Procurement team / category managers, Key Business Stakeholder Functions ( Marketing, IT, HR, Retail, Logistics, Legal, Finance, etc)

• External: Suppliers & Agencies: Executives, Key Account Managers & Legal Council

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Intermediate knowledge in sourcing and procurement methodologies and concepts, business partnering and category management (7 steps strategic sourcing, Fact based Negotiations, etc.)

• Good knowledge of How to develop a Procurement Category strategy and conveyance

• Strong knowledge of procurement tools, processes, content and automation (E-sourcing -Ariba-, P2P - Ariba-, e-catalogues, buying channels, etc.)

• Strong ability to analyze data, specifications, and influence demand

• Capability to independently interact throughout the adidas Group and to work with virtual teams

• Knowledge and experience in projects and process management

• Strong analytical, presentation, communication, interpersonal and influencing skills

• Action oriented and solution minded team player with high degree of self-management

• Proficiency in MS Office and preferably SAP MM/ Ariba

• Fluent Japanese in spoken and written. Good English in read and written.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree with emphasis on the areas of business, economics, finance, procurement, engineering or legal, or comparable professional education

• Minimum 4 to 6 years’ professional experience in a similar functional domain or other related positions, with knowledge of category / market at hand; experience with supplier selection, negotiation and contracting

• Prefer procurement experiences with Japan companies