📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Sr. Lead, Sportswear Category Marketing
🔹 Company: Under Armour
🔹 Location: Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
🔹 Job Type: Hybrid (3 days on-site per week)
🔹 Category: Retail Apparel and Fashion
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-07-09
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (with hybrid arrangement)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Driving category and brand awareness through consistent and impactful execution across EMEA.
- Ensuring effective collaboration among cross-functional teams across global and regional levels.
- Orchestrating strategies that align product, marketing, and retail efforts to create a compelling category presence.
- Acting as the central orchestrator of strategies that connect sport, fashion, and culture authentically.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and the ability to work effectively in a matrixed environment.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Own the category voice and strategy in the region, leveraging product, defining the story, and helping design the distribution to grow the category across the region with a focus on key cities.
✅ Develop marketing plans that integrate sport-specific fashion trends and authentic connections to urban sport cultures.
✅ Advocate for the cultural pulse of fashion and sportstyle consumers in key cities, owning category voice and positioning, and bringing European market and consumer insights to the global team.
✅ Lead a cross-functional team to execute the category strategy, create a EMEA consumer focus, and a 3-year strategic plan for the category.
✅ Own regional brand management for the category and execute the regional category marketing strategy and related initiatives in partnership with a cross-functional team.
✅ Develop and own all marketing-focused product and brand stories in the category, designing and executing the 12-month initiatives plan tied to regional business priorities.
✅ Create the architecture of "when and where the story is told," setting and managing communication objectives to deliver touchpoint strategy and plan.
✅ Partner with merchandising, e-commerce, retail, wholesale, sales, consumer and business analytics teams to ensure relevant product style, win in-store and online, and evaluate effectiveness in reaching the target consumer.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong collaboration, communication, and project management skills to coordinate efforts across multiple teams and functions.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: University degree in Marketing, Fashion Business, or a related field.
Experience: 6+ years of marketing experience in a consumer-driven, premium brand environment.
Required Skills:
- Proven expertise in understanding fashion trends within sport cultures, such as football and basketball.
- Experience in conceptualizing and delivering collaborations with creators and artists.
- Strong understanding of EMEA market dynamics, especially in key cities like London, Paris, and Berlin.
- Fluent in English; proficiency in German, French, or Spanish is a plus.
- Team-oriented, collaborative, and effective in a matrixed environment.
- Deeply attuned to cultural trends and consumer behaviors in urban sport cultures.
- Passionate about creating brand experiences that connect sport, fashion, and culture authentically.
- Authentic, action-oriented, and committed to delivering excellence.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience working with global and regional teams.
- Familiarity with Under Armour's brand and products.
ASSUMPTION: Candidates with experience in the sportswear or streetwear industries may have an advantage in this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: €60,000 - €80,000 per year (based on industry standards for a senior marketing role in the Netherlands)
Benefits:
- Paid "UA Give Back" Volunteer Days
- Under Armour Merchandise Discounts
- Health & Fitness Benefits, Discounts and Resources
- 38-hour working week
- Hybrid work arrangement (3 days on-site per week)
- 28 days of holiday
- Teammate Resource Groups
- Human Performance Institute (Gym) on-site
- Local Language Course when moving from abroad
Working Hours: 38 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement (3 days on-site per week)
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards and may vary depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Under Armour operates in the retail apparel and fashion industry, focusing on performance and innovation.
Company Size: Under Armour is a large, publicly-traded company with over 10,000 employees worldwide.
Founded: Under Armour was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Company Description:
- Under Armour is obsessed with being better, stronger, and more focused than anyone else in the industry.
- The company's mission is to make athletes better through performance solutions that inspire and can't be imagined living without.
- Under Armour's values define and unite the company, serving as rallying cries that remind everyone why they're there and fuel everything they do.
Company Specialties:
- Performance
- Brand
- Innovation
- Apparel
- Footwear
- Digital Fitness
- and Technology
Company Website: www.underarmour.com
ASSUMPTION: Under Armour's focus on performance, innovation, and brand makes it an attractive employer for marketing professionals seeking to work for a leading global brand.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior leadership level, requiring strategic thinking, decision-making, and team management skills.
Reporting Structure: The Sr. Lead, Sportswear Category Marketing will report to the EMEA Director of Category Marketing and Consumer Engagement.
Work Arrangement: This role follows a hybrid work arrangement, with teammates required to work on-site for 3 days per week, starting in October 2025, and increasing to 4 days per week in January 2026.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to expand the role's scope and influence as the category grows and evolves.
- Opportunities to work on global projects and collaborate with teams across different regions.
- Possibility to transition into a more senior or leadership role within the category marketing function or broader organization.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers strong growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to make a significant impact on the category's success and develop their leadership skills.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Under Armour's Amsterdam office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster creativity and productivity.
Office Location(s): Stadionplein 10, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Geographic Context:
- Amsterdam is the capital and largest city in the Netherlands, known for its vibrant culture, diverse neighborhoods, and rich history.
- The city is home to a thriving fashion and design scene, making it an ideal location for a role focused on sportswear category marketing.
- Amsterdam's central location in Europe makes it an ideal hub for working with teams across the EMEA region.
Work Schedule: The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility in working hours, with teammates required to work on-site for a specified number of days per week.
ASSUMPTION: Working in Amsterdam offers a unique blend of urban living, cultural experiences, and international connectivity, making it an attractive location for professionals in the fashion and marketing industries.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application and resume screening
- Phone or video screening with the HR team
- In-depth behavioral and situational interviews with the hiring manager and cross-functional team members
- Final round interviews with senior leadership
- Background check and offer extension
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and category marketing expertise
- Collaboration and communication skills
- Leadership and team management abilities
- Cultural fit and alignment with Under Armour's values
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role.
- Prepare examples of your past work that demonstrate your ability to drive category marketing strategies and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Research Under Armour's brand, values, and category marketing efforts to show your enthusiasm and understanding of the company and role.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask during the interview process to demonstrate your interest in the role and Under Armour's mission.
ATS Keywords: Sportswear, Category Marketing, EMEA, Brand Awareness, Cross-Functional Teams, Strategic Planning, Consumer Insights, Fashion Trends, Urban Sport Cultures, Collaboration, Leadership, Team Management
ASSUMPTION: Under Armour's recruitment process is designed to assess candidates' strategic thinking, category marketing expertise, and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best fit for the role and the organization.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, JIRA)
- Marketing automation and analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Marketing Cloud)
- Design and creative tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch)
- Collaboration and communication platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Slack)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with industry-standard marketing, project management, and design tools is essential for success in this role.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Act Sustainably
- Celebrate the Wins
- Stand for Equality
- Love Athletes
- Fight On Together
Work Style:
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Action-oriented and results-driven
- Adaptable and resilient in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- Strategic and innovative in approach
- Committed to delivering excellence
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do you align with Under Armour's commitment to sustainability and social responsibility?
- How do you approach celebrating successes and learning from setbacks in a team environment?
- How do you demonstrate your commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in your personal and professional life?
- How do you balance your passion for sports and fashion with a strategic, business-focused mindset?
- How do you ensure your work style and approach complement Under Armour's company culture and values?
ASSUMPTION: Candidates who demonstrate a strong alignment with Under Armour's values and work style are more likely to succeed in this role and contribute to the company's ongoing success.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing multiple stakeholders and cross-functional teams across global and regional levels.
- Balancing the need for strategic, long-term planning with the demands of day-to-day execution and tactical decision-making.
- Adapting to a dynamic and evolving category landscape, with shifting consumer preferences and market trends.
- Working effectively in a hybrid work environment, balancing on-site and remote collaboration.
- Managing the expectations and priorities of multiple regional markets within the EMEA region.
ASSUMPTION: These challenges require strong leadership, communication, and project management skills, as well as the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on sportswear category marketing within the EMEA region, requiring a deep understanding of local market dynamics and consumer behaviors.
- Compared to related roles in category marketing or brand management, this position offers a more specialized focus on the sportswear category and the opportunity to drive its growth and success within the EMEA region.
- Career progression in this role may follow a path towards more senior or leadership positions within category marketing or the broader organization, depending on the candidate's performance and the company's growth.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity for candidates with a strong background in category marketing, a deep understanding of the sportswear category, and a passion for driving its growth and success within the EMEA region.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a regional marketing campaign for a new sportswear product launch, tailored to key cities within the EMEA region.
- Collaborating with global and regional teams to create a comprehensive category marketing strategy, aligning product, marketing, and retail efforts to drive brand resonance and growth.
- Conducting consumer research and market analysis to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities within the sportswear category, informing regional marketing strategies and product development.
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the strategic, collaborative, and consumer-focused nature of the Sr. Lead, Sportswear Category Marketing role, requiring a strong understanding of the category, market dynamics, and consumer behaviors.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does this role fit into the broader category marketing strategy and organization structure?
- What are the key priorities for the first 90 days in this role, and how can I best support the team in achieving them?
- How does Under Armour measure the success of category marketing strategies, and what key performance indicators (KPIs) will I be responsible for tracking and reporting on?
- What opportunities exist for collaboration with other departments or regional teams to drive category growth and success?
- How does Under Armour support the professional development and growth of its employees, particularly in senior leadership roles?
ASSUMPTION: Asking thoughtful, informed questions during the interview process demonstrates your interest in the role and Under Armour's mission, as well as your commitment to driving the category's success.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role, emphasizing your strategic thinking, category marketing expertise, and cultural fit with Under Armour.
- Prepare examples of your past work that demonstrate your ability to drive category marketing strategies and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Research Under Armour's brand, values, and category marketing efforts to show your enthusiasm and understanding of the company and role.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask during the interview process to demonstrate your interest in the role and Under Armour's mission.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
