Channel Manager, Players' Association Programs

Campus Ink•Chicago, IL

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Channel Manager, Players' Association Programs owns the success of Campus Ink and The NIL Store’s NBPA, MLBPA, and WNBPA programs across direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. This is a new vertical, and the role is its first dedicated owner. It combines account management and marketing, taking projects from initial ideas through live campaigns. The Channel Manager shapes product concepts with design and licensing teams, equips the wholesale team with products and catalogs, and develops marketing that drives online sales. The role also serves as the day-to-day contact for Players’ Association offices, athletes, agents, and influencers. The position develops and runs annual and seasonal marketing strategy, owns revenue goals, tracks performance, and uses data to guide investment. It leads product projects from ideation through launch, builds release calendars around league seasons and events, and ensures products meet licensing approval requirements. It supports wholesale with timely product and sales materials, leads direct-to-consumer campaigns, and coordinates partner relationships, approvals, promotional commitments, and co-marketing. The company describes itself as committed to investing in this vertical, with potential for the role’s team and scope to grow as the business expands. The position is hybrid in Chicago, Illinois, with at least three days per week in the office. It is a full-time, salaried position with an annual salary of $55,000–$65,000.

Requirements

2–3+ years of experience in sports marketing at a brand, league, team, Players’ Association, agency, or licensed merchandise company.
Ability to analyze sales and campaign data and make decisions based on the results.
Experience taking projects from idea to launch across creative, product, and external partners.
Strong writing and storytelling skills, with a sharp eye for design and content that captures fans’ attention.
Self-starter who thrives with ambiguity and wants to build something new.
Genuine love of sports and fluency in the NBA, MLB, and WNBA.

Responsibilities

Build and run annual and seasonal marketing strategies for the NBPA, MLBPA, and WNBPA programs.
Own revenue goals across direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels and report progress to leadership.
Track sales, traffic, conversion, and campaign data weekly, using results to guide investment in players, products, and channels.
Identify timely opportunities such as milestones, playoff runs, and viral plays, and move quickly to bring products to market.
Lead projects from product ideation through launch with art, design, and licensing teams.
Build a product-drop calendar aligned with league seasons, drafts, and marquee events.
Ensure products meet Players’ Association and university licensing approval requirements from concept through final art.
Keep the wholesale team supplied with fresh product timed to buyer calendars.
Create and maintain product catalogs, line sheets, and sell-in materials for retail partners.
Use sell-through data and retailer insights to inform future product development.
Plan and run campaigns across email, social, paid media, and site merchandising with the marketing team.
Tell players’ stories by connecting their college roots with their professional careers.
Brief creative teams, approve assets, and maintain a high standard for design.
Serve as the main day-to-day contact for the NBPA, MLBPA, and WNBPA offices.
Build relationships with athletes, agents, and influencers to support launches and content.
Coordinate approvals, promotional commitments, and co-marketing with each Players’ Association.
Learn active products, partner contacts, and approval processes; develop go-to-market plans and performance reporting; and launch a supported product drop with a wholesale catalog.
Build growing and reliable revenue in both channels, establish a steady wholesale product flow, and develop trusted relationships with Players’ Association offices and active athletes.