Manager Key Accounts - Sports Channel - EM South at adidas Group

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

• To ensure profitable market share and net sales growth within select key accounts across South Africa.
• To passionately lead the key account sports function in identifying, developing and implementing strategies through a brand first approach whilst driving profitable growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• To develop and implement the overall strategy for the key account portfolio based on global and Market strategies jointly with the Senior Manager for the Sports pillar.
• To ensure Net Sales growth by setting clear targets and actions; constant tracking of results; analysis of risks & new business opportunities
• Sports Pillar plays an important role in the authentication of each category – these need to be clearly defined and managed.
• To ensure the Key Account organization is applying available adidas standards and best practices
• Build Strategic Account Plans and Account Marketing Plans and present to Senior Manager for the Sports pillar.
• Manage the Go to Market (GTM) process end to end
• To support negotiation and enforcement of adidas trade terms
• To establish an appropriate organizational framework for the key account organization jointly with the Senior Manager for the Sports Pillar
• To measure progress on defined KPIs
• To monitor all reports
• To monitor and report on customers and competitors sell-through and activities, and propose/initiate/take actions
• To provide realistic plans and forecasts on customers performances

Key Relationships:

• Global and Market: Wholesale, Key Accounts, Sales Development, Go To Market Functions, Digital Partner Commerce.
• Drive Concept to Consumer working relationship.
• Part of the overall cluster commercial structure.
• Cluster: Sales Director, Heads of Key Accounts, Brand, Customer Service, Sales Coordination, Business Development, HR, Planning, Logistics & Finance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Passion and knowledge of sports
• Key account manager with proven track record of success
• Strong interpersonal skills (e.g. communication, negotiation)
• Proven methodological skills (e.g. business planning, strategic development)
• Broad and deep functional skills (e.g. Sales, Customer Service, Finance, IT)
• High degree of commercial and business acumen knowledge – ability to track sell through
• Extensive knowledge of the adidas Group business along with significant industry experience

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Degree in business administration with focus on Sales/Marketing
• Business: minimum 6+ years
• Functional: minimum 3+ years’ experience in sales, ideally in the sporting goods industry
• Cross-functional experience ideally with marketing / sales / finance
• Industry: sporting goods / retail / consumer goods