Senior Project Manager, DC Solution Engineering & Design

Adidas; Spartanburg (SC); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy

Parental leave (14 weeks)

Job summary

adidas seeks a Senior Project Manager in Global Engineering to shape and deploy the DC engineering strategy across regions. You will define design standards, drive automation concepts, and lead or support capital projects from concept to handover in a highly collaborative global team.

You will travel 50%-75% across North America, Latin America, and Europe, partnering with regional teams and IT to implement scalable, cost-effective DC solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience in distribution center design including facility layout, process engineering, automation, and material flow.
• Ability to translate forecasts and requirements into end-to-end DC designs using CAD tools such as AutoCAD.
• Strong expertise in MHE and automation (ASRS, goods-to-person, conveyors, sortation) and related DC concepts.

Responsibilities

• Define and improve global standards for DC design, layouts, and automation concepts.
• Develop scalable DC design and automation strategies based on forecasts and volume scenarios.
• Drive standardization of MHE, automation solutions, and DC processes across regions.
• Partner with Global NonTrade Procurement to define global and regional supplier and technology strategies.
• Lead or support feasibility studies and business cases for new DC builds, expansions, and automation investments.
• Facilitate introduction of new DC technologies with regional teams, IT, and operations.
• Benchmark adidas DC concepts against external best-in-class solutions and advocate for innovation.
• Act as technical advisor to regional engineering and DC management during design, implementation, and ramp-up.
• Support capital projects by leading or contributing to engineering and MHE workstreams from concept to handover.
• Contribute to development of the global engineering community through knowledge sharing and documentation.

Skills

DC design

MHE & automation

Data analysis

Lean & Six Sigma

Project management

WMS/WCS/WES

Communication to leadership

Education

Bachelor/Master in Engineering or Supply Chain

Tools

AutoCAD

MS Project

Excel

Job description

Global Engineering - Senior Project Manager, DC Solution Engineering & Design

Required to travel 50%-75% across North America, Latin America, & Europe

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

Global Engineering is a critical enabler of successful, efficient, and futureready distribution centers across the adidas Group. The function defines and drives bestinclass solutions for distribution center (DC) layout, process design, and automation, while ensuring global standardization and scalability.

The Senior Solution Engineer within Global Engineering plays a key role in shaping and deploying adidas' global DC engineering strategy. The role drives design standards, supports the introduction of new technologies, benchmarks adidas' DC solutions against industry leaders, and partners closely with regional engineering teams to ensure consistent, optimized, and costeffective DC implementations worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and continuously improve global standards for DC design, including facility layout, process design, and automation concepts.
• Develop scalable DC design and automation strategies, translating business forecasts and volume scenarios into robust facility and material flow concepts.
• Drive standardization of Material Handling Equipment (MHE), automation solutions, and DC processes across regions.
• Partner with Global NonTrade Procurement to define and execute global and regional supplier and technology strategies.
• Lead or support feasibility studies and business cases for new DC builds, expansions, and automation investments.
• Facilitate the introduction of new DC technologies in close collaboration with regional engineering, IT (WMS/WCS/WES), and operations teams.
• Benchmark adidas DC concepts against external bestinclass solutions to ensure continuous innovation and competitiveness.
• Act as a technical authority and advisor to regional engineering and DC management during concept design, implementation, and rampup.
• Support capital projects by leading or contributing to engineering and MHE workstreams, from concept through commissioning and handover.
• Contribute to the development of the global engineering community, including bestpractice sharing, documentation, and capability development.
• Identify and evaluate problems and develop improvements to processes, layouts, internal flows, utilization, packaging material usage and methods of operation within a warehouse environment, making fact based recommendations to the lean organization.
• Evaluate Labour Management systems including implementation, configuration, analysis of results and development of recommendations to the DC heads

Key relationships

Internal

• Global Engineering
• Market Engineering teams
• DC Engineering teams
• Distribution Center Management and Operations
• Project Management
• TECH functions
• Global Real Estate / Workspaces
• Finance and Investment Committees
• Project Steering Boards and Executive Sponsors
• Other global functions as required by project scope

External

• Automation and technology suppliers
• Engineering and logistics consultants
• System integrators and solution providers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven experience in distribution center design, covering facility layout, process engineering, automation, and material flow.
• Ability to translate business forecasts and operational requirements into endtoend DC designs using CAD tools (e.g., AutoCAD).
• Strong expertise in MHE and automation solutions, including ASRS, goods-to-person, conveyor, sortation systems and advanced automation like AMR, as well as manual DC concepts.
• Broad understanding of endtoend supplychain and logistics processes, with deep engineering expertise.
• Excellent analytical, problemsolving, and decisionmaking skills.
• Solid understanding of WMS, WCS, and WES architectures and their interaction within automated and manual DC environments.
• Strong background in complex data analysis, capacity modelling, and scenario evaluation in a distribution or supplychain context.
• Working knowledge and practical application of Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with labour management systems, engineering labour standards, and work measurement methodologies.
• Strong project management capabilities, including planning, budgeting, risk management, and execution in complex, multistakeholder environments.
• Ability to influence and present to DC management and middle to senior leadership to drive alignment and informed decision-making.
• Proven capability to mediate between cross functional stakeholders and drive consensus across differing objectives.
• Advanced skills in Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project, with the ability to build complex, data driven presentations.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master's degree in engineering, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, or Business Administration with a focus on Supply Chain, Logistics, or Distribution Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.
• Extensive experience in consumer goods, retail, or ecommerce distribution environments, preferably within international networks.
• Demonstrated experience with automated and hybrid DC environments.
• 5 years engineering work experience, ideally in a distribution center environment
• 2 years' management experience required
• Experience with AutoCAD is preferred
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a frequent basis.
• Excellent English language proficiency (written and verbal); additional languages are a strong advantage.

adidas celebrates diversity, supports inclusiveness and encourages individual expression in our workplace. We actively encourage individuals with disabilities to apply and will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. We do not tolerate the harassment or discrimination toward any of our applicants or employees.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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 14 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.

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 Spartanburg, SC.

Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.