What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Merchandise Manager, DTC College and NFL position at Fanatics?
Job Description
The Category Merchandise Manager (CMM) at Fanatics Brands is responsible for managing the business, financial, licensing approvals, and line plans for an assigned brand, league, or category. Business lead for cross-functional teams in planning, design, development, and sourcing, as well as the main product contact for our designated league partners. Responsible for leading the cross functional team to achieve category financial objectives and growth with respect to revenue, margins/profitability, and adoption.
This CMM will be responsible for DTC College and NFL.
General Duties & Responsibilities
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
About The Team
Fanatics Commerce is a leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods. It operates a vertically-integrated platform of digital and physical capabilities for leading sports leagues, teams, colleges, and associations globally – as well as its flagship site, www.fanatics.com.
Fanatics Commerce has a broad range of online, sports venue, and vertical apparel partnerships worldwide, including comprehensive partnerships with leading leagues, teams, colleges, and sports organizations across the world—including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Formula 1, and Australian Football League (AFL); the Dallas Cowboys, Golden State Warriors, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, and Tokyo Giants; the University of Notre Dame, University of Alabama, and University of Texas; the International Olympic Committee (IOC), England Rugby, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
At Fanatics Commerce, we infuse our BOLD Leadership Principles in everything we do:
The Category Merchandise Manager (CMM) at Fanatics Brands is responsible for managing the business, financial, licensing approvals, and line plans for an assigned brand, league, or category. Business lead for cross-functional teams in planning, design, development, and sourcing, as well as the main product contact for our designated league partners. Responsible for leading the cross functional team to achieve category financial objectives and growth with respect to revenue, margins/profitability, and adoption.
This CMM will be responsible for DTC College and NFL.
General Duties & Responsibilities
- In cooperation with Sr. Management, lead and facilitate effective strategies to mitigate risk, maintain continuity of operations
- Ownership of category margins and ultimate business portfolio management, including but not limited to regional pricing, SKU management.
- Creating product strategy and brand positioning and management of short and long-term Fanatics Brands initiatives by category
- Managing a Merchandising team to be global, omni channel, product and competitor focused in an innovative, fast, and team-oriented environment
- Knowledgeable on trends, consumer insights, marketplace, and competitive landscape
- Knowledgeable on our league specific product creation and rights and potential
- Develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships with development, design, sourcing, and planning to deliver margin and adoption rate goals
- Support channel segmentation strategy in partnership with Sales
- Effective communicator and presenter to management, leagues, teams, retailers
- Relevant trade show management and presentations
- Partner with planning team on business plans, financial planning, and analysis to track and define key business opportunities
- Line/Range planning, with an understanding of a finished and blank inventory, for chase, custom, and seasonal fashion
- Analyze and manage style/SKU productivity (gender, style, size, color, units, lifespan, AUR, category margins, MSRP's)
- Partner with Merchandise Planning, Design, Development, Production Planning, Operations, and Sourcing
- Partner on the product commercialization process, timelines, specific and weighted margins, profitability, final range adoption process
- Develop and support growth of team members in areas like presentation, process, and culture
- Lead and develop a small team of merchants, supporting, mentoring team members with presentation, process, and culture
- Possible travel, including overseas, account and league reviews
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Apparel, Merchandising, or comparable graduation from a textile school; an equivalent level of work experience (8-10 years) is acceptable with a strong understanding of the product creation process
- 6 plus years of progressive experience specializing in apparel or fashion-related experience in retail buying, or management
- Minimum 2 years of people management experience
- Proven manager of people, timelines, and process with ability to identify, acquire, and grow talent as well as motivate, mentor, and develop high performing teams
- Drive for great product and able to communicate vision and bring to reality
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills – visual, written, and verbal
- Ability to network, gain trust with co-workers, open to new ideas, work with multiple personalities and competing agendas, and can deliver a decision in a professional manner
- Project management and problem solving - identify and resolve problems in a creative, collaborative, and timely manner with a view of the big picture and making difficult decisions
- Maintain a professional and positive attitude towards the team, vendors, and clients
- Experience with Microsoft Applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and can learn and use product/project management software
- Strong understanding of merchandising retail math/financial skills
- Knowledge and understanding of global retail and consumer trends
- Knowledge and/or passion for sports
- Ability to travel up to 35%
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
About The Team
Fanatics Commerce is a leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods. It operates a vertically-integrated platform of digital and physical capabilities for leading sports leagues, teams, colleges, and associations globally – as well as its flagship site, www.fanatics.com.
Fanatics Commerce has a broad range of online, sports venue, and vertical apparel partnerships worldwide, including comprehensive partnerships with leading leagues, teams, colleges, and sports organizations across the world—including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Formula 1, and Australian Football League (AFL); the Dallas Cowboys, Golden State Warriors, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, and Tokyo Giants; the University of Notre Dame, University of Alabama, and University of Texas; the International Olympic Committee (IOC), England Rugby, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
At Fanatics Commerce, we infuse our BOLD Leadership Principles in everything we do:
- Build Championship Teams
- Obsessed with Fans
- Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit
- Determined and Relentless Mindset
