Retail Trading Manager

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

At adidas, we have a clear purpose: “Through sport, we have the power to change lives.” This guiding principle shapes how we operate as a company, how we collaborate with our partners, how we create our products, and how we connect with our consumers. Our values represent essential behaviors and mindsets, reflecting the “You Got This” attitude we strive to see in every team member.

The Manager Trader drives in-season business performance by leading trading strategy, managing Open-To-Buy execution, and optimizing inventory across Retail, Franchise, and Ecom. This role balances strategic foresight and operational control — ensuring each product, price, and promotion delivers against financial targets and consumer expectations. The Manager Trader partners closely with Buying, Demand Planning, and Omnichannel Teams to anticipate demand, react to trends, and maximize sell-through, profitability, and inventory health.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and implement Seasonal Trading Strategy (Strategic)

Define and execute the in-season trading strategy aligned with business targets and brand priorities, ensuring strong sell-through %, going in margin % protection, and inventory productivity.

Lead Cross-Channel inventory and Allocation Performance (Operational)

Oversee store allocation and replenishment fill-rate strategies based on performance, ensuring right product, size, and quantity availability to maximize sales and minimize lost opportunities.

Monitor and Optimize Commercial Performance (Strategic)

Analyze sell-out, inventory, and consumer trends to identify opportunities or risks, leading timely actions to optimize trading performance and support business objectives (stock to sales ratio by store and by channel).

Manage Markdown and Pricing Strategy (Strategic)

Oversee markdown (Gross Margin Return in Inventory) planning and implementation across channels, balancing profitability, competitiveness, and brand equity. Ensure pricing strategies align with regional guidelines.

Drive inventory efficiency and stock flow management (Operational)

Coordinate Distribution Center-to-store, store-to-store, and ship-from-store inventory flow to ensure optimal stock levels, minimizing overstock and stockouts while enabling omnichannel flexibility.

Lead in-season governance and collaboration forums (Operational)

Facilitate trading and performance review meetings with cross-functional partners (e.g., Direct to Consumer, Brand, Merchandising, Supply Chain) to align priorities and corrective actions.

Coach and Develop Trading Team Capabilities (Leadership)

Develop and mentor team members to improve analytical capabilities, inventory management, in-season decision-making, commercial agility, and collaboration across channels.

Key Relationships

• Concept to Consumer (CTC) team, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Finance, Retail Operations, Brand, Omnichannel Team, Ecom, Distribution Center teams.

• External: Retail and Franchise partners

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong analytical and commercial acumen with proven ability to optimize sales and profitability.
• Advanced understanding of sell-out, Open to Buy, and inventory performance metrics and trading levers (e.g., markdowns, allocations, replenishment) to guide business actions.
• Skilled at managing multiple markets and reacting quickly to consumer trends.
• Strong Stakeholder management and collaboration skills across Commercial, Brand, and Operations functions.
• Deep understanding of replenishment systems, allocation logic, and markdown optimization.
• Fluent English and Spanish verbal and written communication skills.

Requisite Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Merchandising, or related field.
• 5 years of experience in Retail, Trading or Buying or Merchandising, preferably in sporting goods, fashion, or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries.
• Experience in in-season trading, merchandising, or category management within a multi-channel Retail environment.
• Experience with Excel, Business Intelligence tools, and allocation/replenishment systems.