Team Lead - Finance Operations D2C

Purpose & Overall Relevance For The Organisation

s part of the Global Business Services (GBS), the DTC Team Leader will oversee the Finance Operations for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) channels, including Retail, eCommerce, and Omnichannel. The role is pivotal in driving operational excellence, compliance, and process standardization to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and control in financial accounting processes directly impacting business performance.

The Team Leader will manage a team of specialists responsible for key finance processes, drive continuous improvements, support digital acceleration strategies, and collaborate with global stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes aligned with adidas’ growth ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop the DTC Finance Operations team to deliver against SLAs and KPIs, ensuring operational efficiency and high-quality service delivery.

• Oversee the accurate execution of accounting activities, including bank statement posting, account reconciliations, inventory accounting, and period-end closings.
• Ensure robust financial controls and compliance with adidas Accounting Manual, Group policies, and local statutory requirements.
• Monitor and manage interfaces between finance systems, identifying discrepancies and driving resolutions with IT and relevant stakeholders.
• Act as the key escalation point for complex queries from markets, customer service teams, and other internal partners.
• Drive the continuous improvement of DTC finance processes, leveraging automation, analytics, and best practices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including IT, DTC GPO, local market finance, and the GBS leadership team to enhance DTC channel performance.
• Support the stabilization, enhancement, and optimization of new system implementations (e.g., SAP, OmniHub).
• Provide insights on product and financial performance through data analysis, reporting, and storytelling to management.
• Represent Finance Operations in governance forums, projects, and transformation initiatives related to DTC.
• Ensure accurate documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and knowledge transfer within the team.
  
  

• Market Finance Teams
• GBS DTC Leadership & Process Owners
• DTC Global Process Ownership (GPO) Team
• Retail & eCommerce Teams
• Customer Service & Operations
• adidas IT and Product Teams
• Other GBS Streams
  
  

• Strong accounting and finance knowledge with understanding of DTC business models.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with a track record of developing and motivating teams.
• Proficient in SAP and related finance systems; experience with S4 and OmniHub is a plus.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills and ability to handle large data sets.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to influence stakeholders across levels.
• Customer-oriented approach with a proactive, impact-driven mindset.
• Experience in shared services or multinational environments is an advantage.
• Growth mindset with curiosity and willingness to drive transformation and continuous improvement.
  
  

• University degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or equivalent.
• 10+ years of relevant work experience in Finance, with at least 2-3 years in a leadership role in DTC operations or similar environments.
• Experience in leading teams within a Shared Service Centre is highly desirable.