PURPOSE & OVERALL RELEVANCE FOR THE ORGANIZATION
The Senior Director Marketing is the most senior marketing leader for adidas Golf and owns the integrated global agenda across Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing. The role sets the vision, strategy and investment priorities across Storytelling, Activation, Digital, Social, PR, Retail Marketing, Creative Development and the global athlete and partner portfolio.
As a member of the Golf Senior Leadership Team, the role connects athlete credibility, consumer storytelling, product innovation and marketplace activation into one cohesive marketing strategy that drives brand desirability, demand creation and sustainable business growth. The role serves as the senior functional leader for Sports Marketing, owning portfolio strategy, investment priorities, key contracting and relationship decisions, and the integration of athlete assets across the broader marketing agenda.
INTEGRATED MARKETING STRATEGY AND BUSINESS LEADERSHIP
- Own and evolve the multi-year global Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing strategy for adidas Golf, aligned with Golf, Brand and Enterprise strategy.
- Set the integrated consumer and athlete agenda across Storytelling, Activation, Sports Marketing, Digital, Social, PR, Retail Marketing and Creative Development.
- Represent Marketing on the Golf Senior Leadership Team and shape Business Unit strategy, growth priorities, resource choices and organizational decisions.
- Translate consumer, cultural, athlete, marketplace and commercial insight into clear marketing priorities and measurable brand and business outcomes.
- Ensure Sports Marketing operates as a horizontal capability that informs and strengthens Storytelling, Activation, Product, Design, Development, Go-to-Market and Commercial execution.
SPORTS MARKETING STRATEGY, PORTFOLIO AND CONTRACT LEADERSHIP
- Own the global adidas Golf Sports Marketing strategy, athlete and partner portfolio architecture and multi-year investment priorities across professional, amateur and collegiate golf.
- Set the direction and decision criteria for athlete identification, scouting, evaluation, recruitment, renewal and exit recommendations based on brand fit, product credibility, consumer influence, geographic relevance and commercial value.
- Lead or directly oversee the most material athlete and partner negotiations with agents, management companies, tours and golf organizations in partnership with Legal, Finance and relevant adidas stakeholders.
- Own senior relationships with priority athletes, agents and strategic partners and serve as the executive escalation point for significant contractual, service, performance, reputational or athlete-welfare matters.
- Maintain visible leadership within the golf ecosystem, including appropriate presence at major professional and amateur events, while empowering the Sports Marketing team to lead ongoing tour coverage and athlete service.
- Set governance for contracts, rights, obligations, renewals, portfolio reviews, risk management and return on investment.
ATHLETE INTEGRATION, BRAND ACTIVATION AND PRODUCT PARTNERSHIP
- Ensure contracted athlete and partner rights are fully integrated into global storytelling, activation, digital, social, PR, retail and commercial plans.
- Create a clear connection between athlete identification and signing, athlete servicing, rights utilization and consumer-facing activation.
- Partner with Product Marketing, Design and Development to embed athlete insight, testing and performance feedback into product creation, validation and launch priorities.
- Align Sports Marketing, Storytelling and Activation leaders around a shared seasonal athlete and asset plan that advances priority products and brand narratives.
- Ensure athlete scripting, appearances, content, product seeding and event participation strengthen both adidas Golf and partner value.
- Monitor athlete performance, competitive activity, golf industry developments and emerging talent to inform future strategy and portfolio choices.
INVESTMENT, PERFORMANCE AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
- Own global marketing investment principles and annual resource allocation across brand marketing, agencies, athlete and partner contracts, activation and Sports Marketing operations.
- Establish performance measures and business reviews connecting marketing and Sports Marketing activity to brand, consumer, product and commercial outcomes.
- Make portfolio trade-offs across stories, channels, athlete assets, markets and capabilities and redirect resources when performance, risk or opportunity requires action.
- Set global marketing governance, decision rights, quality standards and Market adoption expectations.
- Serve as the final Golf Marketing and Sports Marketing escalation point for material brand, athlete, partner, agency, budget, legal and execution decisions.
ORGANIZATION AND TALENT LEADERSHIP
- Lead and develop a high-performing global Marketing organization spanning Storytelling, Activation and Sports Marketing, including senior leaders and specialist teams.
- Set the Marketing and Sports Marketing operating model, organization design, capability roadmap and succession agenda.
- Provide direct functional leadership to the Sports Marketing organization, establishing clear accountability for team coordination, portfolio execution, athlete service and people leadership.
- Establish clear roles across athlete scouting and portfolio management, contract management, athlete servicing and activation to avoid gaps and duplication.
- Build a culture of accountability, creativity, consumer centricity, athlete centricity, collaboration, confidentiality and disciplined execution.
- Coach leaders, differentiate performance and ensure resources are aligned to the highest strategic priorities.
DECISION SCOPE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- Global functional scope across the full adidas Golf Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing agenda, athlete and partner portfolio and priority markets.
- Accountable for integrated marketing strategy, athlete and partner portfolio strategy, material contract and investment recommendations, global standards, organizational capability and delivery against agreed brand and business outcomes.
- Operates with broad discretion within approved Golf and Brand strategy and escalates only decisions with material enterprise, financial, contractual, legal or reputational implications.
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP PARTNERS
- SVP & General Manager Golf
- Golf Senior Leadership Team
- Senior leaders across Product Marketing, Design, Development, Go-to-Market, Commercial, Finance, Human Resources and Legal
MARKETING AND SPORTS MARKETING NETWORK
- Storytelling, Activation, Sports Marketing, Digital, Social, PR, Retail and Creative teams
- Global, regional and Market Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing leadership
- Product Marketing, Product, Design and Development teams
- Go-to-Market, Sales and Market Commercial leadership
- Athletes, agents and management companies
- Professional tours, amateur and collegiate golf organizations and event partners
- Creative, media, retail, digital and production agencies
- Strategic partners, rights holders and specialist service providers
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Enterprise-level marketing strategy, brand building, demand creation and integrated consumer experience leadership.
- Deep Sports Marketing expertise, including athlete identification, portfolio strategy, professional and amateur golf, contract negotiation, rights management and athlete or agent relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to integrate athlete assets into storytelling, activation, product creation and commercial priorities.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, including large-scale marketing budgets, athlete and partner investments, forecasting and portfolio trade-offs.
- Executive presence and credibility with senior internal stakeholders, athletes, agents, rights holders and external partners.
- Demonstrated ability to lead senior leaders and multidisciplinary global teams in a complex matrix.
- Excellent judgment in high-visibility, time-sensitive, confidential and reputationally sensitive situations.
- Proven transformation, innovation and change leadership, including responsible use of consumer data, technology and AI-enabled capabilities.
- Strong understanding of golf culture, professional and amateur golf ecosystems, the consumer and the competitive landscape.
REQUISITE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE / MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- University degree in Marketing, Communications, Sports Management, Business or a related field. Master degree or MBA preferred.
- 15+ years of progressive experience spanning brand marketing, integrated marketing, Sports Marketing, athlete management, partnerships or related leadership roles.
- Meaningful leadership experience in both Brand Marketing and Sports Marketing; candidates must demonstrate direct experience working with athletes and agents and leading or materially influencing contract negotiations.
- 8+ years of people leadership experience, including leadership of senior leaders and multidisciplinary global teams.
- Proven accountability for global marketing strategy, material budgets, athlete or partner portfolios, agency ecosystems and measurable brand and business outcomes.
- Demonstrated experience connecting athlete partnerships to product, storytelling, activation and commercial value.
- Experience in golf, sporting goods, a major sports organization, athlete representation or a global consumer brand strongly preferred.
- Ability to travel regularly, including presence at priority professional and amateur golf events.
- Advanced Microsoft 365 skills, particularly PowerPoint and Excel.
- Fluent English, written and spoken.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at adidas means championing individual uniqueness and cultivating a culture of belonging in which everyone can create at their best. We embrace diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and seek to create a workforce that reflects our consumers and communities.
- adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage. Employees are able to enroll in adidas’ 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
- Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
- The anticipated low and high end of the base pay range for this position is $172,900 - $238,500. Actual salary will be based on various factors, such as a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills and competencies, proficiency for the role.
- At adidas we offer a Hybrid work policy which requires attendance in the office Monday through Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Friday each week. For work requiring a high degree of collaboration or an in-person presentation, in-office attendance is required even on Friday. The working location of this position is Carlsbad, California.
- Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.
