Merchandise Manager - Reading Royals | Full-Time | Santander Arena

Oak View Group

Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched, 360-degree solution set for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential, highest attended arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions on the planet.

Position Summary

The Merchandise Manager will create, oversee, and implement merchandising strategies for Santander Arena, the home of the Reading Royals.

Our ideal candidate is a detail-oriented and deadline-driven individual with experience managing a small to medium-size team. This role also requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a creative eye for sourcing and presenting clothing, headwear, accessories and other game day fan gear.

This role will pay an annual salary of $62,000-$65,000.

Benefits for Full-Time roles: Health, Dental and Vision insurance, 401(k) savings plan, 401(k) matching, and paid time off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays).

This position will remain open until July 31, 2025.

About the Venue

Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, is a versatile venue that serves as the home arena for the Reading Royals, the ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Santander Arena has hosted an array of live events including concerts, Disney on Ice, and other family friendly events attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing the planning and implementation of merchandising strategies to deliver volume and profit goals.
• Ensuring that all deadlines, inventory requirements, and customer orders are completed in a timely manner.
• Creating eye-catching store layouts that showcase the brand and aesthetic of the teams and company.
• Preparing and maintaining annual budgets.
• Negotiating the costs of inventory.
• Forecasting, price setting, and negotiating quantities with buyers, suppliers, and distributors.
• Ensuring product selection is aligned with market trends.
• Tracking inventory movement and systematically introducing promotions, sales, price changes, etc.
• Interpreting sales reports and providing guidance on how to improve figures and customer engagement.
• Hire, coach and manage a team to run the day-to-day operations of the Team Store on a seasonal basis.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, business management, retail, or a related field.
• A minimum of five years' experience in a managerial position.
• A background in marketing, communications, and/or design is preferred.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be creative and detail-orientated.

Strengthened by Our Differences. United to Make a Difference

At OVG, we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry, we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation, strengthens our people, improves our service, and raises our excellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve, and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis ("protected class") including, but not limited to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.