Manager GBS Subject Matter Expert

Overview

Manager Accounts Payable Subject Matter Expert. 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 behaviours and mindsets, reflecting the “You Got This” attitude we strive to see in every team member.

This same purpose and mindset are at the heart of Global Business Services (GBS), the team that delivers end-to-end business solutions across adidas. By driving process excellence and operational efficiency, GBS enables our partners to focus on what matters most: creating impact.

The Manager Accounts Payable Subject Matter Expert is accountable for leading initiatives that enhance efficiency, productivity, and process excellence within Accounts Payable functions. The role drives measurable business impact by combining Lean Six Sigma methodologies, productivity frameworks, and digital enablers (automation, analytics, process mining). Acting as a change leader, the Manager partners with stakeholders to ensure delivery of savings, service improvement, and transformation projects to create a journey that exceeds the expectations of our vendors and employees.

Key Responsibilities

Productivity & Continuous Improvement

• Lead the identification, prioritization, and execution of productivity initiatives delivering cost optimization, FTE efficiency, and backlog reduction.
• Drive improvements for Accounts Payable processes (e.g., Payment on Time indicator, reconciliation, posting QA, open items, APWF) by identifying root causes and defining integral action plans to achieve targets.

Stakeholder Management & Change Management

• Understand stakeholder requirements, collect data, deliver analysis, and propose relevant improvements to address process simplification, standardization, and automation. Apply problem-solving methodologies to identify root causes and implement corrective actions that address issues sustainably.
• Lead timely reviews and follow-ups on critical supplier accounts to minimize risks and maintain strong vendor relationships, while ensuring root causes have actionable plans for the region.
• Deliver ad hoc reports to local Finance teams to support analysis, decision-making, and operational visibility.
• Engage with local users across Americas to support APWFs, Goods Receipts (GRs) and Purchase Orders (POs) resolution and with Processing team to support timely and accurate invoice processing.

Capability Building & Culture

• Facilitate implementation of process standardization, harmonization and automation.
• Serve as the process expert, providing expertise, training and guidance across Accounts Payable activities to accounts payable specialists and stakeholders; in line with the latest taxonomy, DTPs, and Global procedures.

Key Relationships

• Internal: GPO, GBS Delivery Excellence team, GBS Finance operations, local market finance teams, procurement teams, and IT support.
• External: Vendors/suppliers and other third-party stakeholders related to Accounts Payable.
• Operational Partners: Delivery team (for invoice postings) business users (for GR/PO resolution), Vendor query resolution team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Industrial Engineering, Finance, or related fields (master’s preferred).
• Lean Six Sigma certification, Yellow Belt as minimum.
• +3 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Productivity, or Operational Excellence roles.
• +3 years of operational experience with accounts payable processes (AP, Posting, T&E, Payments).
• Understanding end-to-end of procurement process (Accounts payable & Travel and expenses).
• Solid experience with SAP and specific tools such as Concur, Ariba, FIP, APWF.
• Experience in process design, process mapping, improving process quality, process review and compliance.
• Strong experience in managing productivity initiatives with measurable impact (FTE, cost, service KPIs).
• Advanced skills in data analysis and visualization (Power BI, Excel, SQL, etc.).
• Experience with digital enablers (Power Apps, RPA, AI, Smartsheet, process mining, SharePoint).
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills in English and Spanish.
• Strategic thinking, problem-solving, and influencing skills to drive results without direct authority.

Knowledge, Skills and Leadership Abilities – Managers

This section outlines a senior manager role and should incorporate the leadership framework behaviours as described above.

• EXCEL: Live your passion for the brand: Act as a confident brand ambassador, spreading enthusiasm for adidas, its culture, products, and consumers. Share brand updates, understand diverse consumer needs and adapt accordingly.
• OWNERSHIP: Act like it’s your own company: Balance global strategy with local needs, align team goals, seek process improvements, and drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• INNOVATION: Think bigger and beyond: Anticipate change, embrace ambiguity, and encourage innovation. Support calculated risks, challenge the status quo, and drive continuous improvement.

EMPOWER

• Build a diverse team & foster inclusion: Create diverse, high-performing teams in an inclusive, fair environment. Encourage open dialogue, value different perspectives, and celebrate individual and team achievements.
• Engage and inspire: Connect with and energize the team with clear vision and motivating communication. Guide through challenges and promote well-being and resilience.
• Develop talent: Identify and create development opportunities, provide fair access to growth, and foster a culture of trust and continuous feedback.

ELEVATE

• Deliver results: Set clear, achievable goals, prioritize value-driven actions, ensure resources, and exemplify a hands-on mentality to overcome challenges.
• Promote accountability: Own decisions with transparency, communicate expectations clearly, address conflicts constructively, and take confident actions, even in challenging situations.
• Continue to grow yourself: Seek feedback, reflect to increase self-awareness, embrace a learning mindset, and pursue growth beyond the comfort zone while promoting development within the team.

At adidas we have a winning culture. This section communicates the brand’s values further and describes how we foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and belonging through our people processes.

– Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You –

By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.