[Hiring] Manager, Merchandise & Brand Programs @Hometown Soccer Holdings

Role Description

Hometown Soccer Holdings (HSH) is building a portfolio of locally rooted MLS NEXT Pro clubs, each deeply embedded in its community and built to create lasting connections with fans. A club kit is often a fan's first purchase and their most visible expression of belonging, which makes merchandise both a developing revenue line and a core brand asset. The Manager, Merchandise & Brand Programs will own merchandise marketing, product storytelling, limited drops and collaborations, and the fan-service retail programs that turn product into identity.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, this role will own the portfolio merchandise marketing calendar, build and run product launch campaigns across all clubs, and coordinate e-commerce marketing in partnership with Performance & Lifecycle Marketing. The Manager will give local club teams the assets, approved messaging, inventory visibility, and timing they need to sell merchandise well in their own markets.

This is a commercially meaningful opportunity for a merchandise marketer with genuine product taste to build the retail marketing function of a growing multi-club soccer organization. The ideal candidate brings end-to-end product launch experience, comfort reading sell-through and margin data, and enthusiasm for drops, collaborations, and community-rooted brand programs.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in merchandise marketing, retail marketing, brand marketing, or e-commerce.
• Demonstrated ownership of product launches end to end, from creative brief through post-launch performance read.
• Experience writing creative briefs and managing creative production against a fixed calendar.
• Comfort with sales data, including reading sell-through and margin and adjusting plans accordingly.
• Vendor management and cross-functional coordination experience.
• Strong writing instinct for product storytelling and brand voice.
• Familiarity with Shopify or a comparable e-commerce platform.
• Experience in sports, apparel, streetwear, or fan-goods categories, including drops or collaborations, is strongly preferred.

Requirements

• Own the portfolio merchandise marketing calendar across all clubs and HSH.
• Build and run product launch campaigns, including kit launches, seasonal collections, and club-specific releases.
• Own product storytelling — why a piece exists and why a fan should want it.
• Coordinate club-specific merchandise marketing so each market has what it needs at the right moment.
• Sequence the calendar so launches and drops across clubs do not cannibalize each other.
• Develop limited drops and collaborations with local artists, brands, and community partners.
• Build brand program concepts that extend beyond product into fan identity and belonging.
• Manage collaboration partners from concept through delivery, including approvals and brand fit.
• Bring local cultural relevance into product programs in partnership with club teams.
• Coordinate e-commerce marketing: site merchandising, promotional calendar, and email and paid support in partnership with Performance & Lifecycle Marketing.
• Support matchday merchandise promotion in partnership with Fan Engagement & Club Marketing Operations.
• Communicate inventory and promotional information to local markets so clubs promote what is actually available.
• Own merchandise sales reporting and learnings; feed demand signals back into product and planning decisions.
• Manage vendor coordination across product, fulfillment, and retail partners.
• Give clubs the assets, approved messaging, and timing they need to market merchandise locally.
• Capture local demand signals, club-specific opportunities, and supporter and fan product feedback.
• Coordinate matchday retail support needs with local operations and retail counterparts.
• Write creative briefs for merchandise assets and manage the pipeline with Creative Services.
• Own the merchandise segment of the recurring central/local operating cadence.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Company Description

Hometown Soccer Holdings is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a staff that reflects the communities our clubs play in. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodations are available at any point in the application or employment process.