Manager, Innovation Costing

Purpose

• A key player in Product Development and Sourcing in driving to be the Most Agile, Most Competitive, Most Innovative & Sustainable Supply Base in the industry.
• Execute innovation-costing activities for new materials, concepts and machinery investments by developing accurate cost breakdowns, maintaining data and coordinating inputs across functions.
• Prepare timely budget, chargeback and expenditure reporting for Engineering & Manufacturing Innovation and follow through on agreed actions.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply established costing methodologies consistently within global costing systems and processes.
• Build, maintain and update end-to-end costing models for assigned innovation projects, ensuring assumptions, inputs and outputs are complete and traceable.
• Collect, validate and consolidate cost inputs from Engineering & Manufacturing Innovation teams, Finance, Costing, Product Development and suppliers.
• Track costing deliverables, timelines, risks and open actions, and escalate issues when support or decisions are required.
• Prepare and deliver accurate monthly reports on budgets, expenditures and chargebacks, including variance explanations and follow-up actions.
• Coordinate with Finance to reconcile data, monitor spending, resolve discrepancies and support timely financial reporting.
• Support the implementation of costing frameworks, tools and templates for new technologies and materials across internal teams and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.
• Maintain costing data, documentation and standard work to ensure transparency, consistency and audit readiness, and lead benchmarking exercises for selected products and competitors
• Perform cost comparisons, scenario analyses and business-case calculations to support project decisions and cost optimization.
• Identify practical process improvements and implement agreed actions that improve data quality, cycle time and operational efficiency.
• Execute all activities in compliance with the adidas Responsible Sourcing & Purchasing Policy, adidas standards and applicable legal requirements.
• Contribute to a collaborative, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace through reliable delivery, ownership and teamplay.

Key Relationships

• Engineering & Manufacturing Innovation
• Regional adidas Innovation Centers and Concept teams
• Global Sourcing, Finance, and Costing
• Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers, factory technical teams, and technology providers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Good working knowledge of product and material costing, product development, manufacturing or sourcing operations.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to build costing models, validate data, explain variances and prepare clear recommendations.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and discipline in maintaining accurate data, documentation, timelines and reporting.
• Practical problem-solving skills and the ability to translate issues into clear actions and follow through to closure.
• Sound project coordination and process-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Ability to understand new technologies and manufacturing innovations and convert them into practical costing structures and working tools.
• Clear communication, collaboration and presentation skills, with confidence working across functions and with suppliers.
• Fluent in English and Chinese, written and spoken.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and able to use AI tools to improve analysis, documentation and productivity.

Requisite Education and Experience

• University degree in business, finance, engineering, purchasing or a related discipline, or an equivalent qualification.
• Typically, 3+ years of relevant experience in product costing, manufacturing, product development or project coordination within a multinational environment.
• Hands-on experience preparing cost analyses, maintaining project or financial data, coordinating cross-functional inputs and delivering work against defined timelines.