What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager, Brand Communications (Basketball) position at adidas?
Position Overview
At adidas, we never launch a product unless we consider it perfect.
Our teams combine creativity, cultural insight, consumer understanding, and commercial expertise to create brand experiences that connect with consumers. Every communication strategy is built to strengthen the brand, bring product stories to life, and create impact across consumer touchpoints.
The Manager, Brand Communications - Basketball develops and manages retail and digital communication strategies for the US Basketball business. Guided by the global and US Basketball direction established by the Senior Communications Manager, this role translates category priorities into integrated plans that support wholesale partners and connect with consumers.
Working across Brand Communications, Wholesale Marketing, Digital, Retail, PR, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, and global teams, this position leads integrated planning for key concepts and category initiatives. The role serves as a direct connection between North America Wholesale Marketing and the Global Basketball Business Unit to ensure global strategies are relevant, actionable, and impactful in the US market.
Key Responsibilities
Category Expertise: Maintain a deep understanding of category business priorities, sell-in objectives, product strategies, and Go-To-Market milestones.
Consumer and Culture Insights: Build an in-depth understanding of basketball athletes, consumers, and surrounding culture to inform strategic decisions and strengthen marketing relevance.
Global Strategy Alignment: Partner with the Global Brand Communications Storytelling team to understand global strategies, positioning, and support plans for key concepts.
Market Relevance: Influence creative development to ensure global campaigns and tools are relevant for the US market, particularly wholesale partners, while identifying and addressing communication gaps.
Integrated Communications Planning: Lead integrated planning for key concepts and category initiatives by establishing communication goals and guiding campaign strategy and execution.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Mobilize teams across PR, Retail, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, Digital, and Account Marketing to deliver coordinated consumer experiences.
Creative Development: Build and deliver strategic briefs to internal teams and external agency partners that extend or adapt global creative platforms for the US market.
Wholesale Partnership: Partner with Wholesale Marketing to identify retail opportunities and ensure Brand Marketing toolkits are relevant, actionable, and impactful.
Seasonal Storytelling: Create and deliver holistic presentations that bring key concepts and category marketing plans to life and support seasonal sell-in.
Budget Prioritization: Manage and influence category budget priorities across related initiatives in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.
Performance Measurement: Support marketing activation post-mortems to assess communication effectiveness using key performance indicators, analytics, and campaign learnings.
Required Qualifications
This position follows the adidas hybrid work policy and is based in Portland, Oregon. Employees are expected to work in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday. In-office attendance is required on Fridays when business needs involve a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation.
The role operates in a fast-paced, collaborative, and culturally connected marketing environment. The position requires frequent partnership across global and US teams, commercial functions, wholesale partners, and external agencies. Travel may be required based on business needs. The working language is English.
REPORTING STRUCTURE
This role reports to the Senior Communications Manager and supports the US Basketball business. The position has significant cross-functional exposure to Global Brand Communications, the Global Basketball Business Unit, Wholesale Marketing, Account Marketing, PR, Retail, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, Digital, and internal and external creative partners.
Compensation & Benefits
Actual salary will be based on various factors, including a candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.
Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance.
At adidas, we foster a workplace culture built on respect, collaboration, and opportunity where employees can grow, contribute, and perform at their best.
We value diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds because they strengthen our teams, drive innovation, and help us better serve athletes, consumers, and communities around the world.
adidas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.
At adidas, we never launch a product unless we consider it perfect.
Our teams combine creativity, cultural insight, consumer understanding, and commercial expertise to create brand experiences that connect with consumers. Every communication strategy is built to strengthen the brand, bring product stories to life, and create impact across consumer touchpoints.
The Manager, Brand Communications - Basketball develops and manages retail and digital communication strategies for the US Basketball business. Guided by the global and US Basketball direction established by the Senior Communications Manager, this role translates category priorities into integrated plans that support wholesale partners and connect with consumers.
Working across Brand Communications, Wholesale Marketing, Digital, Retail, PR, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, and global teams, this position leads integrated planning for key concepts and category initiatives. The role serves as a direct connection between North America Wholesale Marketing and the Global Basketball Business Unit to ensure global strategies are relevant, actionable, and impactful in the US market.
Key Responsibilities
Category Expertise: Maintain a deep understanding of category business priorities, sell-in objectives, product strategies, and Go-To-Market milestones.
Consumer and Culture Insights: Build an in-depth understanding of basketball athletes, consumers, and surrounding culture to inform strategic decisions and strengthen marketing relevance.
Global Strategy Alignment: Partner with the Global Brand Communications Storytelling team to understand global strategies, positioning, and support plans for key concepts.
Market Relevance: Influence creative development to ensure global campaigns and tools are relevant for the US market, particularly wholesale partners, while identifying and addressing communication gaps.
Integrated Communications Planning: Lead integrated planning for key concepts and category initiatives by establishing communication goals and guiding campaign strategy and execution.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Mobilize teams across PR, Retail, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, Digital, and Account Marketing to deliver coordinated consumer experiences.
Creative Development: Build and deliver strategic briefs to internal teams and external agency partners that extend or adapt global creative platforms for the US market.
Wholesale Partnership: Partner with Wholesale Marketing to identify retail opportunities and ensure Brand Marketing toolkits are relevant, actionable, and impactful.
Seasonal Storytelling: Create and deliver holistic presentations that bring key concepts and category marketing plans to life and support seasonal sell-in.
Budget Prioritization: Manage and influence category budget priorities across related initiatives in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.
Performance Measurement: Support marketing activation post-mortems to assess communication effectiveness using key performance indicators, analytics, and campaign learnings.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, or a related field.
- Minimum 4 years of marketing experience, preferably within a sporting goods, consumer goods, fashion, or lifestyle organization.
- Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in place of a degree.
- Experience developing integrated marketing communications programs.
- Strong understanding of how elements across the marketing mix influence consumer motivation and behavior.
- Experience developing innovative marketing strategies with strong creative instincts.
- Strong customer-facing, partnership, and influencing skills.
- Ability to lead and mobilize cross-functional teams without direct management responsibility.
- Strong project management, planning, and organizational skills with the ability to navigate changing priorities.
- Strong presentation skills and extensive experience building impactful PowerPoint presentations.
- Strong knowledge of sport, fashion, lifestyle, and consumer culture.
- Experience within basketball, sporting goods, fashion, lifestyle, or culturally relevant consumer categories.
- Hands-on experience developing or leading digital strategy.
- Experience working across retail, wholesale, digital, PR, events, and sports marketing channels.
- Experience adapting global creative platforms and campaigns for a local market.
- Experience partnering with advertising, design, or creative agencies.
- Understanding of the sporting goods industry and related retail and wholesale channels.
- Experience using KPIs, analytics, and campaign post-mortems to evaluate communication effectiveness.
This position follows the adidas hybrid work policy and is based in Portland, Oregon. Employees are expected to work in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday. In-office attendance is required on Fridays when business needs involve a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation.
The role operates in a fast-paced, collaborative, and culturally connected marketing environment. The position requires frequent partnership across global and US teams, commercial functions, wholesale partners, and external agencies. Travel may be required based on business needs. The working language is English.
REPORTING STRUCTURE
This role reports to the Senior Communications Manager and supports the US Basketball business. The position has significant cross-functional exposure to Global Brand Communications, the Global Basketball Business Unit, Wholesale Marketing, Account Marketing, PR, Retail, Events, Product, Sports Marketing, Digital, and internal and external creative partners.
Compensation & Benefits
Actual salary will be based on various factors, including a candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.
Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance.
- Comprehensive medical coverage including HSA with employer funding or FSA options, dental, vision, and prescription plans.
- Adoption, surrogate, and fertility support programs.
- Short and long term disability coverage.
- Basic life and AD and D insurance with supplemental employee paid options.
- 401(k) plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match.
- Education assistance for eligible full time employees.
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave and generous leave policies.
- Flexible time off accrued at 0.4388 hours per day, increasing with tenure.
- Twelve paid holidays plus milestone Service Time Off.
- Employee product discounts and access to wellness programs.
At adidas, we foster a workplace culture built on respect, collaboration, and opportunity where employees can grow, contribute, and perform at their best.
We value diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds because they strengthen our teams, drive innovation, and help us better serve athletes, consumers, and communities around the world.
adidas is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees. We are an equal opportunity employer.