At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the personalisation components business, ensuring fan demand is met with precision and efficiency.
- Company: Join Fanatics Commerce, the global leader in licensed sports merchandise.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for growth.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team that values innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on fan experiences while working with iconic sports brands.
- Qualifications: Experience in merchandising or supply chain management is essential.
The predicted salary is between 45000 - 55000 £ per year.
Fanatics Commerce is the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, operating a vertically integrated platform that designs, manufactures, and delivers officially licensed apparel, jerseys, headwear, and collectibles for major leagues, teams, and events worldwide. With more than 900 e-commerce sites and a global omnichannel presence across digital, in-venue, and retail, Fanatics Commerce reaches fans in over 180 countries and powers official fan experiences for many of the world's most iconic sports properties.
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Merchandise Manager – Personalisation Components sits within Buying & Merchandising and owns the International personalisation components business, combining buying and planning responsibilities to ensure the right components are forecast, procured, and available to support licensed replica apparel personalisation demand. Acting as the central point of coordination across Buying & Merchandising, suppliers, operations, and key stakeholders, this role is accountable for continuity of supply, commercial control, and the overall performance of the personalisation components function. The Merchandise Manager – Personalisation Components delivers business and fan impact through BOLD leadership and execution excellence, leveraging data, automation, and AI-enabled insights.
HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IMPACT
- Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams): Act as the central coordination point between Buying & Merchandising, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and external suppliers to align component plans with trade activity and commercial priorities. Partner with Buying & Merchandising teams to ensure component plans reflect range activity, seasonal launches, and evolving trading priorities, maintaining close alignment throughout the trading calendar. Build and maintain effective working relationships across functions and with external partners, communicating component status, risks, and actions with clarity and confidence to senior stakeholders including the VP, Buying & Merchandising. Contribute to a high-performance team culture by operating with a strong ownership mindset, supporting colleagues through change, and sharing knowledge that raises capability across the broader Buying & Merchandising function.
- Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans): Ensure names, numbers, badges, and related personalisation components are planned and available to meet fan demand, protecting the end-to-end personalisation experience across the International business. Manage component replenishment and stock flow to minimise operational disruption and maintain consistent availability that supports customer-facing personalisation services. Coordinate with operations and fulfilment teams to align component supply to business requirements, ensuring fans receive personalised product on time and to expectation. Support commercial decision-making through clear insight on component availability, demand trends, and risks that directly influence the quality of the fan experience.
- Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit): Identify and elevate component shortages, supply delays, and availability risks with pace, clear actions, and well-reasoned recommendations to minimise trading impact. Investigate root causes of stock, supply, or fulfilment issues and drive corrective action with internal and external stakeholders to prevent recurrence. Identify opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, supply visibility, process control, and overall performance across the personalisation components business. Leverage systems, reporting tools, and data-driven insight to continuously enhance planning precision, order management, and exception handling across the components workflow.
- Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset): Own the full personalisation components business within Buying & Merchandising, taking end-to-end accountability for planning, procurement, availability, and commercial performance. Lead demand planning for personalisation components in line with sales forecasts, trading priorities, launch plans, and seasonal demand, ensuring purchase orders are raised and tracked accurately and on time. Maintain accurate reporting, trackers, and controls across component purchasing, stock, intake, and exceptions, providing stakeholders with confidence in component status and supply position at all times. Manage component stock with strong commercial discipline, balancing service levels, cash efficiency, and margin awareness to deliver a well-controlled and commercially sound components operation.
We are building a future-ready organization. This role is expected to:
- Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
- Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
- Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
- Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE YOU BRING
Required Qualifications:
- Experience in merchandising, planning, buying, procurement, supply chain, or a similar product-led commercial function, with a strong understanding of demand planning, purchase order management, replenishment, and supplier coordination.
- Demonstrated ability to manage stock availability and component or material flow in a fast-paced trading environment, with a track record of protecting service levels while maintaining commercial discipline.
- Experience supporting licensed product, replica apparel, personalisation, or component-led product models is highly desirable, with an understanding of how components underpin the end-to-end personalisation offer.
- Strong commercial awareness, with a clear understanding of how availability, timing, and stock decisions impact sales, margin, and customer experience across an international business.
- Confident using systems, trackers, and reporting tools to manage orders, stock positions, inbound deliveries, and exceptions with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Proven ability to identify issues quickly, prioritise effectively, and upscale with clear recommendations, operating with a high degree of ownership, accountability, and follow-through in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
- Strong communicator and collaborator who can build effective working relationships across functions and with external partners, managing multiple priorities at pace while remaining structured, calm, and solutions-oriented under pressure.
WORK LOCATION
Hybrid: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Manchester subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week.
At Fanatics, we operate with a BOLD mindset—We Build Championship Teams, we're Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined & 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.
Merchandise Manager in Manchester employer: Fanatics Commerce
Fanatics is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets passion for sports. With a commitment to employee growth and development, we provide ample opportunities for career advancement within our global digital sports platform. Our collaborative culture fosters creativity and teamwork, making it an exciting place to contribute to the future of collectibles and engage with millions of sports fans worldwide.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Merchandise Manager in Manchester
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
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Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
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We think you need these skills to ace Merchandise Manager in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at Fanatics Commerce, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at Fanatics Commerce and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show Fanatics Commerce that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Fanatics Commerce
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
