Senior Category Manager in Manchester

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: To grow profitable vertical penetration of Fanatics Vertical Brands products by creating product propositions that are desirable to the end consumer. These include Fanatics, Nike, Mitchell & Ness and Champion. A leader in the development of short to medium term category strategies & range plans that drives sales growth across multi channels and international markets. This role is critical in the planning and execution of consumer-led ranges that are compelling to our license partners, multi-channel retailers and shoppers and deliver against our business commercial targets, strategic priorities and positioning.

Support various International Product Hubs to bring cohesive assortments together for the International Market as well as brief in complementary assortments for our own markets and customers. To be viewed within the business as the product category expert for Fanatics Branded propositions and be the first point of reference for issue resolution, insight and strategic product plans. A senior manager and role model within the Fanatics Branded Division product team.

How you will make an impact:

• Develop strong relationships with external partnership teams, ensuring strategic alignment and stakeholder management throughout the seasonal process.
• Highlight opportunities for growth within the category as part of the seasonal strategic planning process.
• Determine range roadmap and product solutions that deliver the business & Fanatics Branded product strategy.
• Accountable for annual & seasonal plans including range architecture, RRP hierarchy, SCO count & productivity, product mix, product segmentation and margin to meet agreed business objectives.
• Propose appropriate range architecture and positioning based on deep understanding of consumer and competitor landscape, product and feature benchmarking and business strategy.
• Work closely with key leads within the wholesale, ecom and retail channels to understand consumer needs and market opportunities in order to deliver the most relevant product range assortments.
• Collaborate with the USA + International product teams to ensure alignment of product strategies, to leverage global product ranges & to build a ‘one team’ resource network.
• Work closely with international wholesale to determine local product requirements & build local needs into the seasonal range plans.
• In collaboration with the Design & Marketing teams, create integrated product / marketing concepts that increase sales growth for the business.
• Write, submit and manage timely delivery of product briefs to design (and development) teams ensuring design output is commercially acceptable, aligned to partner guidelines and meets the brief.
• Sign off all Special Make-Ups (SMUs) ensuring they are aligned to the process policy and agreed controls (KPIS).
• Ensure cross functional teams deliver all concept to consumer milestones aligned to the seasonal critical path, including approval of products by the external Partnership teams.
• Play an active role in the seasonal international sales launches as part of a cross functional team.
• Lead category presentations and plans at the seasonal sales launches.
• Actively build relationships with key global retail accounts & support the commercial team during the pre-line or sell in period.
• Integrate processes & cross functional relationships across the business that delivers improved efficiencies & establishes a ‘one team’ approach.
• Responsible for driving increased performance throughout the team.
• Leadership, development and motivation of any direct reports.
• Undertake any other duties and/or responsibilities as may reasonably be required by management from time to time.

You may also be required from time to time to work additional hours including but not limited to providing support around events and hot markets.

What you bring to the team:

• Extensive category experience and understanding of the broader market.
• Strong analytical & numerical experience and skills.
• Strong understanding and appreciation of the end-to-end concept-to-consumer (C2C) process.
• Strong understanding of how to gain and translate consumer needs into product.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to work across a broad range of functional areas (interpersonal and influencing).
• Excellent project management skills to ensure the team are adhering to timelines.
• Strong presentation & communication skills.
• Demonstrable success within category management roles.
• Proven ability to propose, implement and deliver short to mid-term strategic initiatives.
• Highly motivated, independent and able to work on own initiative to deliver results to tight deadlines.
• Able to create buy-in, support and belief in their plans within the organisation.
• Curious; quick to identify trends and patterns; always looking for ways to improve category performance.
• Driven to exceed expectations, a self-starter and self-motivator.
• Perceived as credible and an expert in their area with an ability to challenge upwards and across functions to drive initiatives through to completion.
• Analytical, solution driven and results oriented; able to consider both the bigger picture and scrutinise detail when necessary.
• Able to convey complex issues simply and communicate with conviction and awareness of functional, cultural and regional differences.

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: At Fanatics, we’re dedicated to supporting you in all aspects of work and life; as such we offer a range of competitive benefits tailored to each country in which we operate. Specific details regarding the benefits package applicable to your location will be shared and discussed during the interview process.