Merchandising Operations Manager, Consumer Products

Merchandising Operations Manager

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC are united as one soccer family, driven by a shared commitment to excellence, growth, and impact on and off the pitch. Each club has independently forged a rich history of performance while connecting deeply with the community. Our clubs are continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible while fostering an inclusive culture- championing causes and building community connections to expand our reach and impact. Each match is an opportunity to bring together our community, celebrating our resilience, inclusivity, and a commitment to excellence. United in professional dedication- we are two clubs with one shared vision of progress and greatness.

The Merchandising Operations Manager will lead merchandising and consumer product operations for Seattle Reign FC, driving organization, execution, and cross-functional alignment across merchandise initiatives and retail experiences. This role serves as the operational owner for merchandise planning, launch timelines, vendor coordination, and retail execution, ensuring teams remain aligned on key deliverables and business priorities.

This role will partner closely with the VP, Consumer Products to support go-to-market planning and execution across merchandise initiatives, including Shopify/e-commerce, matchday retail, and pop-up experiences. This individual will help translate strategic priorities into operational plans, ensuring launches, campaigns, and retail experiences are executed effectively and consistently across fan touchpoints.

This role will also partner with the VP, Consumer Products to shape and execute visual merchandising direction across digital and physical retail environments, ensuring merchandise presentation and storytelling align with brand objectives and create compelling fan experiences.

As a business owner, this individual will partner across teams to create scalable processes, improve operational efficiency, and drive business performance. This role will bring a forward-thinking mindset toward innovation and emerging technologies, identifying opportunities to leverage tools, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to improve workflows, support decision-making, enhance fan experiences, and scale consumer product operations.

This role is ideal for an experienced merchandising professional who brings structure to fast-moving environments and can balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, with opportunities to expand into broader product ownership over time.

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Own merchandising calendars, launch schedules, and key business milestones across consumer product initiatives
• Establish and improve scalable merchandise processes and workflows that support repeatable execution
• Drive operational organization across teams to ensure alignment on deliverables and launch readiness
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial tracking for consumer product initiatives
• Analyze business performance and provide insights and recommendations to improve revenue and operational effectiveness
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency across merchandising operations
• Evaluate and implement new tools, technologies, and AI-enabled solutions that improve operational efficiency, workflow management, reporting, and decision-making across consumer products
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and GTM activations involving Marketing, Design, Fan Engagement, Retail, and Impact teams
• Drive alignment across stakeholders on priorities, timelines, and execution plans
• Ensure key dates, launch milestones, and deliverables remain visible and on track across teams
• Identify risks and proactively resolve roadblocks impacting merchandise initiatives
• Partner with Consumer Products leadership on merchandise assortment planning, product launches, and seasonal activations
• Conduct market and consumer analysis to inform product decisions and pricing strategies
• Oversee product setup across e-commerce and retail systems, including pricing, barcoding, SKU management, and POS alignment
• Partner with the VP of Consumer Products to establish and execute visual merchandising direction across e-commerce, matchday retail, and pop-up environments
• Ensure merchandise presentation, product placement, and storytelling align with brand strategy and fan experience objectives
• Evaluate product performance and provide recommendations for future assortment and merchandising opportunities
• Partner with the VP of Consumer Products to execute go-to-market strategies across merchandise initiatives and launches
• Support execution across Shopify/e-commerce, matchday retail, and pop-up experiences to ensure a consistent and elevated fan experience
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable timelines, workflows, and cross-functional deliverables
• Coordinate launch readiness across stakeholders to ensure successful execution of campaigns and retail activations
• Partner with Marketing and Creative teams to support digital campaigns, product storytelling, and fan engagement initiatives
• Support and optimize the end-to-end fan shopping experience across digital and physical retail channels
• Monitor and evaluate key performance metrics and identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and fan experience
• Explore innovative approaches and emerging technologies that enhance merchandise storytelling, customer engagement, personalization, and digital shopping experiences
• Establish SOPs and leverage insights and fan feedback to continuously improve execution and processes
• Manage vendor, collaborator, and partner relationships, including purchase orders and service agreements
• Evaluate partner performance against KPIs and proactively resolve operational issues
• Mentor and develop retail support staff and coordinators
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture
• Support ongoing coaching and professional development opportunities

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Retail Management, or related field preferred
• Demonstrated experience in merchandising, retail operations, consumer products, or related functions within a fast-paced, commercially driven environment
• Hands-on experience with apparel buying, assortment planning, and/or merchandise planning preferred
• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives and GTM processes
• Deep experience with Shopify or similar e-commerce platforms, including site merchandising, promotions, reporting, and performance analytics
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Strong analytical mindset with experience translating data into business decisions and action plans
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and negotiation skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to bring structure and process to evolving environments
• Demonstrates curiosity and a forward-thinking approach toward emerging technologies, AI applications, and evolving consumer and retail trends, with an interest in applying new tools to improve business outcomes
• Leadership experience with an interest in mentoring and developing team members
• Creative, detail-oriented, and passionate about creating exceptional fan and consumer experiences
• Committed to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and to living organizational values and the to the organizational mission: Create Moments, Enrich Lives, and Unify & Uplift Through Soccer, in all interactions with colleagues, partners, vendors, and fans.
• Strong interest in women's sports and soccer preferred

Work environment includes:

• Regular in-person presence required at the club's Renton training facility and Lumen Field, with attendance at home matches and key events as part of the role.
• Employee must reside within Washington state upon hire date.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed for matches and events.
• Must be able to facilitate own local travel.
• Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship.
• Responsibilities may require standing on feet for long periods of time, as well as lifting up to 20 pounds.

Compensation, benefits, and perks include:

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage
• Generous paid time off & leave
• Retirement planning support
• Inclusive parental leave
• Peace of mind coverage
• Exclusive perks
• Continuous growth opportunities
• Community engagement

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion includes:

• Fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace
• Celebrating our diverse work environment
• Encouraging team members of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply
• Providing accommodations in the application or interview process