C3 Presents - Merchandise Planning Manager

Live Nation Entertainment • Austin, TX

2d

About The Position

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment company, comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. Ticketmaster is the global leader in event ticketing with over 620 million tickets sold annually and approximately 10,000 clients worldwide. Live Nation Concerts is the largest provider of live entertainment in the world promoting more than 50,000 events annually for nearly 7,000 artists in 40+ countries. These businesses allow Live Nation Media & Sponsorship to create strategic music marketing programs that connect more than 1,200 sponsors with the 145 million fans that attend Live Nation Entertainment events each year. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com. C3 Presents creates music festival experiences for millions of fans across the globe, setting the new standard each year for events that are as memorable as they are spectacular, including Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas, Lollapalooza in Chicago (and seven other countries), and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee. Passionate and motivated. Driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit. Resourceful, innovative, forward thinking and committed. At Live Nation Entertainment, our people embrace these qualities, so if this sounds like you then please read on! The Merchandise Department oversees the merchandise programs for festivals produced by C3 Presents. Functions within the department include financial planning and analysis, creative development and production, retail partnership management, and sales operations for on-site and ecommerce channels. The Merchandise Planning Manager reports to the Director of Merchandise and is responsible for owning and executing the financial targets for the festival merchandise programs. This role drives product mix, planning, and buying strategies to improve product quality, operational efficiency, and overall profitability.

Requirements

• 3-4 years of experience in retail merchandising, planning, or buying
• Bachelor’s degree; coursework in accounting or finance strongly preferred
• Experience in revenue optimization, creative and product development, omni channel activations
• Deep understanding of merchandising and marketing strategies within a retail environment
• Proficiency Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong analytical background and experience building custom reporting using Data Visualization tools and dashboards
• Working knowledge of project management tools such as Asana and Airtable
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with internal teams, vendors, and external business partners
• Demonstrated integrity, professionalism and sound judgement in all business interactions
• Proactive, analytical, and collaborative mindset with strong attention to detail
• Ability to successfully balance both qualitative and quantitative information when recommending appropriate strategies and tactics
• Creative and curious mindset with an interest in fashion, merchandise, and live events
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to remain effective in high-pressure environments
• Excellent organizational skills
• Willingness and ability to travel and work non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends during festivals
• Demonstrate integrity in the way you operate in day-to-day business and the way you deal with people
• Communicate effectively with various audiences by organizing and delivering information appropriately and listening actively to others
• Proactively seek solutions to problems. Be enthusiastic and energetic in your approach to your job. Commit to putting in extra effort with a positive attitude.
• Be flexible in handling change, able to juggle multiple demands, and adaptable to new situations with fresh ideas or innovative approaches
• Stay composed, confident, optimistic, and in problem-solving mode when the going gets tough
• Possess the skills needed to perform your job well, paying close attention to detail, accuracy, and completeness

Responsibilities

• Analyze historical sales data, leverage ticket sales trends, and use market insights to set revenue targets and inventory strategy for each festival
• Partner with the Director of Merchandise to align on financial goals by building and managing detailed merchandise budgets, forecasts, and open-to-buy plans
• Manage purchasing process by allocating inventory across channels, creating and processing purchase orders for each assortment/program
• Develop analytical and data-driven financial models to track sales performance and refine projections and forecasts
• Own post-event financial recaps, including SKU-level sales analysis, margin performance, and year-over-year comparisons to share with internal stakeholders and festival executives
• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting accuracy, inventory efficiency, and reporting processes
• Maintain clean, organized financial documentation for all merchandise programs to support Accounting & Finance processes
• Build orders and collaborate with the Creative team to develop assortments that align with festival brand identity, customer demand, and meet profitability targets
• Determine product mix, pricing strategy, and depth of inventory by category and channel, ensuring cost and budget projections are updated as needed
• Source products from the domestic imprintables market and custom manufacturing partners that meet desired aesthetic direction, quality standards and cost targets
• Negotiate and set contract terms for suppliers including payment terms, quality standards, and delivery deadlines
• Oversee production process from initial development to in-hands date, proactively identifying potential bottle necks, risks or other problems to address appropriately
• Work with Creative Managers to develop and maintain production calendars, establishing timelines for multi-category production for both onsite and online programs
• Support Director of Merchandise by researching and sourcing new vendors, and help maintain strong relationships with established vendor base
• Work closely with Ecommerce Manager to ensure inventory allocations, product data, and launch timing are aligned for post-festival and online sales strategies
• Partner with Operations Manager to facilitate inventory logistics, visual merchandising strategy, and other onsite needs
• Provide insights and recommendations to Marketing and Sponsorship teams as needed to support merchandise storytelling, activations and promotions

Benefits

• Medical, vision, dental and mental health benefits for you and your family, with access to a health care concierge, and Flexible or Health Savings Accounts (FSA or HSA)
• Free concert tickets, generous paid time off including paid holidays, sick time, and personal days
• 401(k) program with company match, stock reimbursement program
• New parent programs including caregiver leave and baby bonuses, plus fertility, adoption, foster, or surrogacy support
• Career and skill development programs with School of Live, tuition reimbursement, and student loan repayment
• Volunteer time off, crowdfunding match

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees