Sportswear brand Under Armour has been on a hiring spree, according to the Jobs Analytics database by GlobalData, which noted that Under Armour had posted over 2,300 jobs in Q2 – a 151% increase when compared to Q1. This included a spurt of hiring activity in April 2021 – the first time in over a year that the company listed over 1,400 jobs.

Neil Saunders, Managing Director of US Retail at GlobalData, comments: “As things get back to normal, Under Armour is coming back strongly with sales up sharply. Against this backdrop, the business is more confident in recruiting for positions it put on hold during the pandemic. The business is also moving strategically by placing more emphasis on direct-to-consumer sales, which necessitates additional roles.”

Ajay Thalluri, Business Fundamentals Analyst at GlobalData, notes: “Over 2,300 job postings and 2,000 job closures in Q2 2021 indicate Under Armour’s high recruitment needs. The company has posted around 800 jobs related to stock and sales supervision since January 2021, but close to 600 were listed in Q2 2021 (up to 15 June).”

Multiple jobs for ‘Stock Teammate’ and ‘Stock Lead’ were listed for Under Armour stores and warehouses, mostly in the US. The company is also listing ‘Seasonal Sales Teammate’ job roles for seasonal hires to monitor inventory levels and sell during peak demand.

Thalluri continues: “Under Armour’s 400 brand stores and factory warehouses are important to drive DTC strategy and increase demand for its products globally.”

Under Amour looks to be focusing on consumer experiences and creating brand desirability, as shown by its advertisement for a ‘Director, Consumer Experiences’. The ‘Director, Program Management’ role also shows plans for a global DTC roadmap through software and technology development, while the ‘Global Omni-Channel Marketing’ incumbent would develop integrated plans for customer relationship management globally.

Thalluri adds: “Under Armour’s hiring is concentrated in the US and Canada, with over 83% and 7% of job postings, respectively, since January 2021. The Netherlands and the UK are other countries where the country is prominently hiring, representing over 5% of the job postings.”

In the APAC region, countries such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Taiwan and Vietnam are in sight for Under Armour hiring, with jobs such as a ‘Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition – APAC’ and ‘Director, Sourcing’ based in this region.

Thalluri says: “Alongside seeing positive revenue increase in Q1 2021, most of Under Armour’s supply chain manufacturers are in the APAC region. With the company looking to expand globally, the APAC region provides an obvious opportunity.”

The launch of Flow Velociti Wind in February 2021, coupled with the growing footwear category, has propelled the company to focus on various products in the segment. Through a ‘Sr. Director, Innovation Footwear Design’ position, posted in June 2021, the incumbent will lead a team for footwear innovation and design.

Thalluri notes: “GlobalData’s Patent Analytics shows that Under Armour is innovating at a rapid pace in the apparel and footwear categories, receiving grants for over 400 patents filed since 2016.”