Sr Director, Retail & D2C

Varsity Brands

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year. OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY At Varsity Spirit, the safety and wellbeing of the young people we serve is of the utmost importance. Since our inception 50 years ago, we have been – and remain – steadfastly committed to doing our part to create a safe and positive environment for our participants’ physical, emotional, and social development, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. Varsity has a zero tolerance for abuse in its programs, events, and associated business activities. Varsity is committed to reporting all suspicions, allegations, and incidents of abuse in full accordance with local laws and reporting requirements. Learn more at Our Commitment to Safety - Varsity.com. Varsity Spirit is seeking a Sr. Director, Retail & Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) to lead the strategy and growth of its consumer commerce ecosystem across ecommerce and event-adjacent retail channels. This role will partner closely with the Vice President of Retail Sales & Distribution to ensure retail and commerce strategies are effectively integrated into Varsity Spirit’s extensive event footprint. The Sr. Director, Retail & D2C will focus on what and how Varsity sells to consumers, while Event Operations owns where and how it is executed onsite. This role is intentionally designed to emphasize strategy, product, and omnichannel growth, rather than day-to-day event retail operations.

Requirements

Ability to make decisions utilizing a data-driven approach, with a strong understanding of retail / D2C KPIs to drive engagement and customer loyalty
Strong retail operations experience, including experience leading inventory management and pricing functions, as well as teams focused on store operations
Experience working with retail inventory management systems and a variety of ecommerce tools (e.g., Shopify, Commerce Tools)
A direct orientation to problem solving and a bias to taking concrete actions
Deep curiosity and humility that can lead to quickly learning the nuances of the Varsity Spirit business
Exceptional interpersonal and collaboration skills for relationship building at all levels of the organization, including cross-departmental colleagues and leadership at Varsity Spirit and Varsity Brands
At least 10 years’ experience within retail / retail sales & store operations, ecommerce, merchandising, event-based / “pop-up” retail, and/or a direct-to-consumer retail sales function
Ecommerce management experience required; deep understanding of D2C / ecommerce, with skills across merchandising, creative, UI/UX, marketing/advertising, and sales
Bachelor’s degree

Nice To Haves

Experience in live events / sports / media & entertainment preferred, but not required
No prior experience in cheerleading, dance, or performing arts required
an MBA degree is preferred, but not required

Responsibilities

Retail & D2C Strategy
Define and execute Varsity Spirit’s consumer commerce strategy across ecommerce and event-adjacent retail.
Identify opportunities to engage consumers before, during, and after events through digital and omnichannel initiatives.
Partner with the VP of Retail Sales & Distribution to align retail strategies with event calendars, formats, and audiences.
Ecommerce & Omnichannel Growth
Own ecommerce performance, including merchandising strategy, promotions, and conversion optimization.
Develop omnichannel programs that leverage events as acquisition and engagement moments, without owning onsite execution.
Collaborate with Event Operations to ensure seamless handoffs between digital and onsite experiences.
Product & Merchandising Leadership
Lead consumer-facing product strategy in partnership with Product, Design, and Sourcing teams.
Influence assortment planning, pricing, and promotional cadence.
Ensure product strategies align with event timing and audience profiles, in coordination with Event Operations.
Event Retail Strategy (Strategic Oversight Only)
Set the retail strategy, objectives, and KPIs for event-based consumer commerce.
Partner with the VP of Retail Sales & Distribution on feasibility, flow, and execution planning.
Review post-event performance and recommend improvements or pilots for future events.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Act as the primary commerce partner to Marketing, Product, Sales, and Finance.
Work in lockstep with Event Operations to align priorities, timelines, and performance expectations.
Escalate trade-offs and investment decisions jointly with the VP of Retail Sales & Distribution to the CMO.