The Senior Lead Merchandise Associate is a full-time, seasonal leadership role responsible for supporting the execution of River Cats retail operations throughout the baseball season. This position plays a key role in maintaining operational excellence, supporting staff performance, and ensuring a consistently high-quality shopping experience for fans at Sutter Health Park. Ideal for individuals with strong retail leadership skills, this role bridges day-to-day execution and management support in a fast-paced, fan-facing environment.

Job Summary

As a Senior Lead Merchandise Associate, you will work closely with the Retail Operations Manager and Assistant Manager to support all aspects of merchandise operations across team store and kiosk locations. You’ll provide elevated leadership to Merchandise Associates and Lead Associates, assist with training and daily staff placement, support inventory management, and help ensure smooth game-day execution. This role is hands-on and highly collaborative, requiring initiative, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to exceptional fan service and retail performance.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Support

• Serve as the primary on-site leader during assigned shifts, ensuring strong coverage and smooth operations in the team store and all retail kiosks.
• Support training and skill development of seasonal retail staff.
• Provide real-time coaching, feedback, and guidance to Leads and Merchandise Associates.
• Help build a positive, collaborative, and high-performance team culture.

Operational Execution

• Assist with scheduling input and shift planning based on staffing needs.
• Assist with opening and closing procedures, store readiness, and end-of-night reporting.
• Ensure merchandising standards are met, including floor presentation, signage accuracy, and visual upkeep.
• Lead the setup and teardown of retail locations for game days, special events, and theme nights.
• Assist in retail management with special projects, store conversions, product launches, and operational improvements.

Inventory Management

• Help manage stockroom operations, including tagging products, backstock organization, and replenishment.
• Assist with inventory counts, cycle counts, and discrepancy resolution.
• Provide recommendations on restocking needs, product movement, and operational efficiency.

Fan Experience & Service

• Model world-class customer service and serve as an escalation point for fan concerns, returns, or special requests.
• Ensure all team members maintain a welcoming, knowledgeable, and professional presence.
• Help implement fan experience initiatives that support River Cats and Athletics brand standards.

Qualifications

Experienced retail professional with strong leadership skills.

Confident in guiding both small and large teams while maintaining a positive atmosphere.

Organized, proactive, and comfortable making real-time decisions in a fast-paced setting.

Strong communications; can relay information clearly across multiple teams and levels.

Comfortable guiding and supporting a team while balancing your own operational tasks.

Calm and solutions-oriented when navigating challenges or escalating situations.

Open to coaching, continuous learning, and contributing ideas for operational improvement.

Job & Physical Requirements

Compensation

This position is a part-time, hourly, non-exempt role with an expected pay of $20.90/hr 

The Sacramento River Cats are an equal opportunity employer. The Sacramento River Cats does not discriminate in employment with regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service or any other characteristic protected by law.