Director Buying & Planning- Core Events

Fanatics Inc•Jacksonville, FL

49d•Onsite

About The Position

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 The Director of Buying and Planning - Core Events is a business owner and category strategist. This leader is accountable for defining and executing a compelling merchandising strategy that delivers innovation, drives profitable growth, and deepens emotional connection with fans. The Director owns our Ecommerce end-to-end assortment strategy - across Fanatics-owned vertical brands and external market vendors - and is responsible for merchandise performance across the Ecommerce network. This role reports into the SVP, Merchandising and leads a team of merchants, working in close partnership with Planning, Product Development, Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations and Site Experience to bring the Fanatics vision to life - on time, with clarity, and at scale.

Requirements

Deep senior-level experience in Merchandising, with a proven track record of owning category strategy and performance in complex, omnichannel retail environments.
Demonstrated leadership of both vertical/private brand and market vendor businesses.
Strong financial and operational acumen - confident managing OTB, turn, AUR, and margin levers
Strategic thinkers with commercial creativity - able to define a compelling category vision and drive it through execution.
Experienced people leader who builds talent, leads through change, and holds high standards.
Fan-centric mindset with passion for product, speed, innovation, and culture.

Responsibilities

Define and execute a merchandising strategy that supports Fanatics' brand and financial goals - spanning Core, Fashion, Seasonal, and Event-Driven (Hot Market) product lifecycles.
Build a balanced, fan-first assortment that blends product accessibility with exclusivity - grounded in trend insights, data, and emotional fan connection.
Shape the Fanatics point of view in the category: what we stand for, what we offer, and how we differentiate.
Own the category's 'Good, Better, Best' framework and lifecycle plan to ensure clarity across vertical and market brands.
Partner closely with Product Development to lead vertical brand strategy and influence the design, positioning, and cadence of Fanatics-owned product.
Serve as the face of Fanatics to key brand partners and vendors - building collaborative relationships that support category growth and exclusivity.
Lead negotiations to secure favorable terms, exclusive product access, and long-term scale.
Represent Fanatics' merchandising vision externally, positioning the brand as a category leader and fan-first innovator.
Curate the vendor matrix to eliminate redundancy, elevate product storytelling, and optimize productivity.
Own divisional financial performance - including sales, gross margin, markdowns, turn, and inventory productivity.
Partner with Planning to build receipt plans, drive OTB strategies, and manage in-season performance.
Use insights to inform buy depth, exit strategies, pricing actions, and risk mitigation.
Build clear business cases for growth investments, always balancing creativity with commercial rigor.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-impact team of buyers and category merchants - modeling ownership, curiosity, and customer-centric decision-making.
Set clear expectations, build strong merchant acumen, and cultivate strategic thinking across the team.
Foster a culture of bold leadership, collaboration, and accountability - creating space for diverse perspectives and high performance.
Stay deeply connected to the voice of the fan - leveraging social, trend, and transactional signals to anticipate demand and evolve product direction.
Actively monitor the competitive landscape and marketplace dynamics to ensure relevance and speed.
Be the category expert across vertical and market brands - understanding trend, brand equity, product architecture, cost of goods, and vendor capabilities.

Benefits

We provide a wide range of health, financial, legal, and development assistance, including wellness programs with fitness and weight management partners, paid maternity paternity leave, and infertility treatment.
Additionally, we offer flexible time off to help you recharge, along with a competitive 401k plan to support your financial future.
At Fanatics, we're dedicated to supporting you in all aspects of work and life.

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