Director, Merchandising Partnerships

WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

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Summary:

The Director, Merchandising Partnerships is responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of WNBA licensing and merchandising partnerships, driving strategic initiatives that support revenue growth, product innovation, and brand expansion across key consumer product categories. This role serves as the primary day-to-day contact for partners, overseeing business planning, relationship management, and the execution of partnership objectives while identifying new opportunities to maximize the value of league and team intellectual property. Success in this role requires a combination of strategic thinking, strong relationship management skills, operational excellence, financial acumen, and a deep understanding of the licensing, merchandising, and consumer products landscape.

Major Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of merchandising and licensing strategies, including new product development, retail expansion opportunities, marketing activations, and partner growth plans.
• Oversees all aspects of licensing operations, including product approvals, marketing collateral reviews, contract and deal memo development, compliance management, and partner reporting.
• Analyze business performance, prepare financial forecasts and revenue projections, monitor industry trends, and develop actionable insights to inform strategic decision-making.
• Collaborates closely with internal stakeholders across Finance, Legal, Marketing, Events, and Basketball Operations to ensure seamless execution of partnership initiatives and alignment with broader business objectives.
• Plays a key leadership role in marquee league events and tentpole moments, including All-Star, Draft, Finals, and other strategic initiatives, ensuring merchandising and retail strategies maximize fan engagement and commercial impact.
• Responsible for developing category-specific analytics and reporting, identifying emerging market opportunities, supporting direct-to-consumer initiatives, and driving cross-category collaboration to enhance the overall consumer products business.
• Partner with Team brand and retail leads to ensure merchandise strategies are effectively integrated into broader league and team marketing efforts.
• Support the group lead with strategic initiatives and special projects related to the overall merchandising business and growth across the NBA and WNBA.
• Oversee the end-to-end management of game-worn product acquisition, including coordination with team equipment managers, partner delivery and overall revenue performance.

Required Skills/Knowledge:

• Strong strategic planning and business development capabilities, with the ability to identify growth opportunities and translate insights into actionable business strategies.
• Deep understanding of licensing, merchandising, retail, consumer products, and partnership ecosystems, including emerging industry trends and marketplace dynamics.
• Exceptional relationship management and negotiation skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence senior-level internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, forecasting, revenue planning, royalty analysis, and business performance evaluation.
• Proven ability to lead multiple complex initiatives simultaneously while balancing short-term execution with long-term strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and executive storytelling skills, with the ability to effectively convey business recommendations and performance insights.
• Highly analytical and data-driven mindset with experience leveraging market intelligence, consumer insights, and performance metrics to inform decision-making.
• Strong leadership and people development skills, with a track record of building collaborative, high-performing teams and fostering a culture of accountability and growth.
• Passion for sports, apparel, trading cards, and collectibles, with an understanding of the evolving women's sports landscape and fan marketplace.

Experience Needed:

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in licensing, consumer products, merchandising, partnerships or a related field.
• Demonstrated success managing and growing complex licensing and merchandising partnerships, including responsibility for revenue generation, contract negotiations, and strategic business planning.
• Experience developing and executing category growth strategies across multiple consumer product categories and distribution channels.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders across Finance, Legal, Marketing, Operations, Digital, and external partner organizations.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including the ability to operate independently, influence decision-making, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Prior experience managing, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams preferred.
• Experience within sports, entertainment, media, retail, or consumer products industries strongly preferred.

Salary Range:

$140,000 - $155,000

Job Posting Title:

Director

Employees currently are eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus, awarded at the sole discretion of the Company and subject to any terms and conditions set by the Company. Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; fertility and family-forming assistance; wellbeing allowance; educational assistance; mental health coaching/therapy; tax advantaged accounts such as HSA and healthcare/dependent care FSAs; a 401(k) retirement plan; and time off benefits that include vacation, sick time, and personal days.

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status, Familial Status, Status As A Victim Of Domestic Violence Or Any Other Status Or Characteristic Protected By Applicable Federal, State, Or Local Law.

The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

About the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season featured a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.