Seattle Seawolves
Retail & Merchandise Manager
Seattle Seawolves - Manager
Seattle, WA
Retail & Authentics · E-Commerce · Retail Management
0
5
days ago
RETAIL & MERCHANDISE MANAGER - Seattle Seawolves Rugby
Location: Seattle, Washington | Reports To: President | Status: Full-time, including Match & Event Days
POSITION SUMMARY
The Seattle Seawolves are looking for a highly organized, creative and commercially minded Retail & Merchandise Manager to help turn Seawolves merchandise into a powerful driver of brand growth, fan loyalty and revenue.
We believe what fans wear matters. Great merchandise allows supporters to carry the Seawolves brand beyond match day—into the community, onto social media and into their everyday lives. The right product, presented in the right way, can turn fans into walking ambassadors for the club.
This role is for someone who understands the intersection of sports, fashion, culture, retail and digital commerce and is excited to build something.
You will own the day-to-day execution of Seawolves retail and merchandise across match days, events and e-commerce. You'll help identify trends, improve product presentation, analyze what is selling, create engaging retail activations and continually look for new ways to grow revenue and strengthen the Seawolves brand.
This is a hands-on role on a growing team. One day you may be analyzing online sales; the next, planning a merchandise drop, creating social content, organizing inventory or setting up a retail experience at a Seawolves match.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Merchandise, Brand & Trends
· Help develop a merchandise assortment that fans are excited to wear—not just at matches, but in their everyday lives.
· Stay closely connected to trends across sports apparel, streetwear, fashion, lifestyle brands and professional sports merchandise.
· Bring forward ideas for new products, limited-edition drops, collaborations and seasonal collections.
· Ensure merchandise consistently reflects and strengthens the Seawolves brand.
· Partner with internal teams and vendors on product development, ordering and execution.
· Look for creative ways to use merchandise to build brand awareness, fan affinity and cultural relevance throughout Seattle.
Match Day & Event Retail
- Own retail execution for Seawolves matches, community events and other team activations.
- Manage merchandise transportation, inventory, setup, breakdown and reconciliation.
- Create retail displays that are visually compelling, organized and consistent with the Seawolves brand.
- Be meticulous about presentation—from how shirts are folded and displayed to signage, pricing, product organization and the overall customer experience.
- Ensure retail locations are fully prepared before doors open and operate smoothly throughout events.
- Provide outstanding customer service and create a positive, energetic experience for fans.
- Recruit, train and manage event-day retail support when needed.
E-Commerce & Revenue Growth
- Manage the day-to-day operation and merchandising of the Seawolves online store.
- Continually improve how products are presented, promoted and discovered online.
- Monitor sales, inventory, conversion, average order value and other key e-commerce metrics.
- Analyze purchasing behavior and product performance to identify opportunities and inform future merchandise decisions.
- Support digital promotions, product launches, merchandise drops and seasonal campaigns.
- Develop ideas to grow online merchandise sales beyond the traditional rugby season.
Inventory & Operations
- Maintain accurate inventory across e-commerce, match-day and event retail channels.
- Manage product receiving, organization, storage and replenishment.
- Track inventory levels and identify potential shortages or excess inventory early.
- Coordinate with merchandise vendors and suppliers to ensure deadlines and product needs are met.
- Establish simple, scalable systems that allow the Seawolves retail operation to grow efficiently.
Social, Content & Fan Engagement
- Work closely with the marketing team to integrate merchandise into Seawolves social media and content.
- Identify opportunities to create social-worthy moments around product launches, players, fans and match-day retail.
- Support merchandise photography, short-form video and social content.
- Develop creative match-day retail activations that encourage fan participation, social sharing and purchasing.
- Understand how merchandise, athletes, creators and fans can work together to expand the reach of the Seawolves brand.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
- 3–6 years of relevant professional experience in retail, e-commerce, merchandising, apparel, fashion, sports, events, consumer brands or a related field.
- Bachelor's degree preferred in Marketing, Business, Retail/Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising, Communications or a related field. Equivalent relevant professional experience will also be considered.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, customer-facing retail or event environment strongly preferred.
- Experience with e-commerce platforms, retail POS systems, inventory management and sales reporting/analytics preferred.
- Demonstrated understanding of consumer, apparel and social media trends and how they can be used to drive brand engagement and sales.
- Sports industry experience is a plus, but not required. We are more interested in candidates who bring strong retail instincts, creativity, initiative and an understanding of how merchandise can build a brand.
KEY ATTRIBUTES
- Has a strong eye for branding, apparel trends, visual merchandising and presentation.
- Understands how merchandise can build brand identity and fan loyalty—not simply generate transactions.
- Resourceful, energetic, proactive and comfortable wearing many hats
- Exceptionally organized and detail-oriented.
- Comfortable working both behind a computer and physically setting up and operating retail locations.
- Can manage multiple priorities, deadlines and moving pieces without losing attention to detail.
- Is comfortable using data to understand what is selling and make better merchandising decisions.
- Understands e-commerce platforms and digital retail fundamentals.
- Is social-media savvy and understands how brands engage consumers through Instagram, TikTok and other digital channels.
- Provides excellent customer service and enjoys interacting directly with fans.
- Is proactive and solutions-oriented—someone who sees a problem and immediately starts figuring out how to solve it.
- Thrives in a fast-moving environment where responsibilities may extend beyond a traditional job description.
- Is excited about learning, growing and taking on increasing responsibility as the Seawolves organization grows.
THE MINDSET
This role is ideal for someone who thinks:
“How can we make this better?”
Better product. Better presentation. Better match-day experience. Better online shopping experience. Better content. Better data. Better systems.
We aren't looking for someone who simply maintains a retail operation. We're looking for someone who wants to help build a brand through what our fans wear, buy, share and experience.
SCHEDULE & WORK ENVIRONMENT
Professional sports doesn't operate exclusively Monday through Friday. This position requires flexibility to work Seawolves match days, community events, evenings and weekends throughout the year.
The role is highly hands-on and requires the ability to assist with merchandise transportation, retail setup and breakdown, inventory organization and other physical aspects of event retail operations.
This is an in-office position based in Seattle, WA. While the role requires working in person with the team, the Seawolves offer flexibility to accommodate individual schedule needs and personal accommodations.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.
The Seattle Seawolves offer a competitive benefits package, including paid holidays and paid time off, and a 401(k) retirement plan.
Benefits include:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave
- Paid company holidays
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Employee discounts on Seattle Seawolves merchandise
- Complimentary and/or discounted tickets to Seawolves matches and events
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- Opportunity to work within a growing professional sports organization and play a meaningful role in building the Seawolves brand
ABOUT THE SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
The Seattle Seawolves are a professional rugby organization committed to building a championship-caliber team, growing the sport of rugby, and creating an inclusive, high-energy fan experience for the Seattle community. We are a lean, ambitious team that values collaboration, ownership, direct communication, excellence, and grace.
The Seattle Seawolves are an equal opportunity employer and value a diverse, inclusive workplace.
