WNBA Merchandising Partnerships Full Time NEW

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Group Summary

The WNBA is the hottest sports league on the planet. It has evolved to be the epitome of sports performance, cultural influence, and depth of purpose. Featuring 16 teams (soon to be 18), the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility. Through its world-class athletes, in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content, and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture surrounding it. WNBA Merchandising is in constant evolution and rapid growth mode as the league, its teams, players, partners, and fans demand more from the function.

The Merchandising Partnerships team focuses on the WNBA’s global relationships across the consumer products landscape. This includes partnerships in sporting goods, apparel, video games, collectibles, digital products, hard goods, and other product categories. Key partners include Nike, 2K, Fanatics, Panini, Playa Society, and many others. The Merchandising Partnerships team is also responsible for the league’s commerce efforts (e-commerce and brick & mortar).

Essential Functions And Job/Position Summary

The Manager, WNBA Merchandising Partnerships, will support the WNBA across all merchandise categories, focusing on WNBA-led partnerships and supporting the league’s overarching operations and strategy. The role will be responsible for day-to-day management of licensees and projects with the goal to help drive revenue through the sales of licensed WNBA products. This role will have the opportunity to interact with internal and external stakeholders. A successful candidate will possess a process-oriented mindset with strong project management skills and a keen eye for detail.

Major Responsibilities

• Support the WNBA Merchandising Partnerships team with the day-to-day management of the business and partnership account management.
• Oversight and execution of day-to-day licensing operations (product and marketing collateral approvals, deal memo/contract development and tracking, vendor compliance)
• Manage inputting of contractual and financial information into internal systems, including Deal Management System (DMS), Flowhaven, the Third Party Manufacturer process (TPM), and other systems necessary to manage our business.
• Maintain financial budget and projection documents while also assisting with royalty and payment tracking for partners
• Work cross-functionally with other departments such as finance, hospitality, player marketing, marketing & legal
• Responsible for all internal comms and trackers (e.g., weekly report, gathering info for internal meetings, etc.)
• Development of industry dashboards and analytics standards for all merchandise categories, and serve as women’s sports merchandise expert

Required Education/Professional Experience

• 5 years working in licensing and sponsorship businesses; prior industry experience in women’s sports or fashion industry preferred
• Bachelor’s degree

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes

• High competency level with Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Sharp eye for detail and high level of organization
• Motivated go-getter with demonstrated ability to self-start
• Strong time-management and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to seamlessly manage multiple workstreams at once
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• General knowledge of consumer products and/or partnerships industry plus a passion for women’s sports
• Staunch work ethic and team player

Salary Range

$110,000-$125,000

Job Posting Title

Manager

Employees currently are eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus, awarded at the sole discretion of the Company and subject to any terms and conditions set by the Company. Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; fertility and family-forming assistance; wellbeing allowance; educational assistance; mental health coaching/therapy; tax advantaged accounts such as HSA and healthcare/dependent care FSAs; a 401(k) retirement plan; and time off benefits that include vacation, sick time, and personal days.

The NBA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or any other third parties. Any unsolicited resume sent to the NBA will be considered NBA property, and the NBA will not pay a fee should it hire the subject of any unsolicited resume.

The NBA considers applicants for all positions on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs, and without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

About The WNBA

The WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women.  Featuring 15 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion and social responsibility.  Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.