Manager, Advanced Polymers (SCF)

Purpose A key player in Product Development & Sourcing in driving to be the Most Agile, Most Competitive, Most Digitalized & Cleanest Supply Base in the industry. Drive engineering & manufacturing innovations on both process and product level from concept validation to full deployment to create overall industrial competitiveness. Take priority action as a consultant pool of technical experts guiding to a world-class supply of foams, rubber, plastics, adhesives, ink/paint, coloration, textiles and other polymer compounds and their manufacturing processes. Key Responsibilities Understand IP (Intellectual Property) landscape. Run individual project team-based collaboration for engineering & manufacturing innovation product concepts and ingredients from validation to full deployment via technical expertise and action throughout the readiness levels, gate 1 & 2 meetings, and scalability for projects and phases assigned to. Identify challenges & opportunities during the innovation readiness level stages and follow up the workstreams needed while maintaining an emphasis on performance, efficiency, cost and sustainability benefits. Receive seasonal compound requests from product creation teams and guide supply partner counterparts to experiment, formulate, test and effectively transition from development to production to satisfy those needs. Maintain Material Lifecycle Management system for bottom material creation and management (clean ups). Give technical consultant feedback to Ops/Materials teams for new supplier onboarding, Costing and Quality. 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 adidas values and behaviours and foster a culture of Diversity Equity & Inclusion that strives for an inclusive workplace. Key Relationships Global Sourcing: costing, materials operations, sourcing operations, sustainability sourcing, engineering and manufacturing innovation team Headquarter innovation, innovation management and Product Development teams. External stakeholders: Sourcing Suppliers T1 and T2 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Advanced knowledge of polymer chemistry, and other chemical products including formulations, processing, machinery, and physical testing.in the field of “Solid”, “Liquid”, and/or “Gas” specialties: “Solid”: rubber, injected plastic components, textiles “Liquid”: ink/paint, textile coloration dyes/finishing chemicals, adhesives and primers “Gas”: Chemical Foams (EVA, PU) and physical foams (SCF, beads) Strong analytical skills for problem solving and for creation, planning and delivering of project work. Ability to explain highly technical concepts to a non-technical audience. Constantly challenging the status quo. Basic understanding of costing principles. Good influencing, interpersonal, presentation and communication skills. Fluent in English (written and spoken). Strong Microsoft office and AI skills. Requisite Education and Experience University Degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Textile Engineering or related engineering areas. Minimum 3+ years of relevant experience.