VP – Merchandising

At Fanatics Commerce, we’re more than just a leader in licensed sports merchandise – we’re a team united by a relentless passion for our fans and a commitment to innovation. We live by our BOLD Leadership principles: We Build Championship Teams, we’re Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined and Relentless Mindset. If you’re ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.

Role Overview 

The VP Merchandising is responsible for leadership, strategic product direction and financial performance of Fanatics Commerce and our Fan Vertical businesses within our Product Creation and Merchandising function. With the complexity, speed and scale of our business, we are looking for a respected and proven product leader with a quantifiable track record of success in delivering results within a large complex organization and in new, emerging markets. 

This role requires a Merchandiser who is highly collaborative, builds strong partnerships both functionally and cross-functionally and can influence change while driving bottom line results. Strong business and financial acumen, coupled with effective communication skills, will help quickly build credibility with internal and external partners. We are looking for a leader with strong experience and understanding of the product creation process from concept to consumer. This leader must have a strong understanding and experience within the North American retail landscape in both the licensed and branded apparel space.

The VP Merchandising has strong knowledge and understanding of our target markets to create products consumers desire, when they’re most interested in purchasing them. Additionally, we are looking for someone who can balance art with science. We are a data driven company and need a leader with a rigorous analytic background, an understanding of creating balanced and inspiring assortments, deep insight into trends and the products our customers want to purchase with goal of achieving profitability goals.

This role will report to the SVP of Product and Merchandising and will work closely with heads of Design, Product Development, Sourcing, Marketing to drive the merchandising strategies to create an exceptional experience for our customers. 

how you will make an impact:

• Owning the strategy and vision of merchandise product creation for Fanatics Commerce across all Fan Verticals and Brands, to develop/execute annual and seasonal product plans which meet revenue and margin targets. 
• Overseeing, planning, and directing product creation activities from an omnichannel perspective to include a spectrum of licensing rights (Leagues, Teams, Brands)
• Establishing and executing short-term and long-term financial goals and merchandising     objectives. 
• Providing direction to your team on concept, color direction and price-value relationship to balance the Fanatics Commerce business & customer needs.
• Approving product recommendations based on demonstrated knowledge of customer and marketplace.
• Analyzing and understanding market trends and consumer behavior as well as the competitive landscape to develop product strategies.
• Researching and analyzing consumer behavior to determine product opportunities for the marketplace
• Developing Merchandise Strategy to ensure all key functional and cross functional partners understand the merchandising direction and vision. Partner closely with Design, Product Development and Sourcing teams to provide a world class customer experience.
• Develop plans for the introduction of new products based on the results of consumer research.
• Championing creativity and innovation in the merchandising process to promote growth, brand development and differentiation.
• Cultivating knowledge of market trends and competition to identify key brands and product categories of growth.
• Attracting and developing a world class team in a high-performance culture and help create an environment that inspires creativity and one that motivates others to achieve excellence.
• Establishing product assortment strategies to meet customer demand and maximize sales and profits. 

what you bring to the team:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Apparel, Merchandising, or equivalent work experience with a strong understanding of the product and sales creation process
• 10+ years of progressive experience with appropriate management experience specializing in licensed apparel, sporting goods, or related experience in retail buying, apparel category management, merchandising and/or buying, operations, and/or wholesale sales
• Experience and understanding of U.S. retail and consumer trends, preferably in sports licensed merchandise
• Have strong strategic planning abilities with significant P & L responsibility achieving profit margin and inventory turn
• Bring many years of experience in retail and apparel industry with extensive knowledge and experience in general merchandising in a multi-location, omni-channel environment
• Have excellent communication skills (written and verbal skills) as well as leadership and management abilities. 
• Have a strong business acumen with a track record of general management experience 
• To grow a business or division while remaining on-brand, and on-trend
• Be comfortable and participate in an analytical and quantitative, data driven environment with mastery of retail math and analytics
• Be a Culture Carrier and inspiring leader for both functional and cross functional teams
• Enjoy travel - both domestic and international 

At Fanatics, we value transparency and honesty. If you don’t meet every single requirement, that’s okay – we still want to hear from you! We believe in the power of diverse experiences and talents. If you’re excited about the role and confident that you can contribute, don’t hesitate to apply. We’re genuinely interested in how your unique skills and perspective can help us build something amazing together.

What’s in it for you:

• Culture: Join a team where you're surrounded by top-tier talent, driven by a shared passion to relentlessly enhance the fan experience. With a focus on collaboration, support, and continuous development, you’ll be empowered to help shape our culture that celebrates both individual and team successes. 
• Benefits: We provide a wide range of health, financial, legal, and development assistance, including wellness programs with fitness and weight management partners, paid maternity paternity leave, and infertility treatment. Additionally, we offer flexible time off to help you recharge, along with a competitive 401k plan to support your financial future. At Fanatics, we’re dedicated to supporting you in all aspects of work and life.