Maine Mariners
Director of Merchandise and Retail Operations
Maine Mariners - Director
Portland · ME
Retail Merchandising · Retail Management · E-Commerce
0
6
hours ago
Our Team:
The Maine Mariners are a proud member of the ECHL, the premier AA professional hockey league in North America and a key development pipeline to the National Hockey League. As the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, the organization benefits from a strong and collaborative relationship with one of hockey’s most historic and successful franchises. The organization is committed to delivering a first-class sports and entertainment experience while serving as a central pillar of the Portland community.
The Mariners have built strong momentum in recent seasons, establishing a winning culture throughout the organization and advancing to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, while also driving significant growth in attendance, ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and overall revenue. This combination of on-ice success and business performance positions the club for continued growth and long-term success.
Position Summary:
As the Director of Merchandise and Retail Operations, you will be responsible for strategizing merchandise assortment, financial planning and inventory management, and store and online operations and reporting. You will lead product development and create product plans working with licensed vendors to maximize profitability.
What You Will Do:
Merchandise Strategy & Assortment Planning
- Develop a comprehensive merchandise assortment strategy across jersey, headwear, apparel, novelty, and collectible product categories
- Create category-specific assortment plans with recommended SKU counts, pricing architecture, margin targets, and product segmentation
- Develop product plans for seasonal collections, theme nights, and special promotions in conjunction with the sales and marketing teams
Vendor Management & Product Development
- Develop products with ECHL-licensed vendors and manufacturing partners based on product quality, lead times, minimum order quantities, decoration methods, pricing competitiveness, and fulfillment capabilities
- Lead product development including concepts, graphic direction, decoration techniques, and material and garment selection
Financial Planning & Inventory Management
- Develop and manage a comprehensive Open-to-Buy (OTB) plan by merchandise category.
- Lead pricing strategy, margin optimization, and promotional cadence.
- Report on sales by category, gross margin performance, per cap spend, average transaction value, and top-performing products
Retail Operations & Reporting
- Oversee daily operation of the team store
- Lead game-day retail operations, including staffing, inventory replenishment, merchandising, and customer service
- Recruit, train, and manage part-time retail staff and interns
- Ensure store presentation consistently reflects organizational brand standards
- Develop and maintain retail operating procedures and best practices
- Manage POS systems and retail technology platforms
E-Commerce & Digital Retail
- Own the club's e-commerce strategy and online store performance
- Optimize product listings, photography, merchandising, and promotional campaigns
- Coordinate fulfillment operations, shipping, and customer service
- Identify opportunities to improve conversion rates, average order value, and customer retention
- Collaborate with marketing on digital campaigns, email marketing, and product launches
Skills You Will Need:
- Strong planning, analytical, and financial management skills
- Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by the hockey calendar
- Cross-functional and collaborative skills to work with multiple internal and external stakeholders
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Retail Management, Sports Management, or related field
- 7+ years of retail, merchandising, e-commerce, or consumer products experience
- Demonstrated success managing inventory, buying, and retail operations
- Experience with apparel sourcing, product development, and vendor management
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
