Head of Consumer Products Role Description
Location: Detroit, MI
About Detroit City FC
Detroit City FC (DCFC) is a progressive, community-driven professional soccer club that embodies the spirit of Detroit’s resilience and pride. Known for its passionate supporter base and commitment to inclusivity, DCFC has become a symbol of innovation and connection, fostering meaningful relationships with fans, businesses, and the local community. As a member of the United Soccer League, DCFC is dedicated to excellence both on and off the pitch.
With an eye towards future growth, DCFC is preparing for a transformative milestone: the opening of a new stadium, AlumniFi Field in 2027. To that end, the club is dedicated to winning matches, promoting the sport of soccer, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, authentic storytelling, and making our city a safer and more equitable place.
Position Purpose
Detroit City FC is seeking a Head of Consumer Products to lead the club’s retail department and play a key role in product development, creation, and promotion for DCFC’s brick and mortar stores and webstore. This role will play a key part in the idea generation/creative process, shaping the overall look and aesthetic of the club’s shops and spirit wear, ensuring products follow the club’s style guidelines as well as current trends. This role will also be responsible for attaining revenue targets, managing cost of goods sold, and setting the department up for an expanded presence at AlumniFi Field. The Consumer Products Manager will also be responsible for collaborating with other departments within the club for their consumer product related needs (ticket packages, gate giveaways, kit layout, ect).
Key Responsibilities
Retail Department Lead
● Oversee retail department, including management of both full time and part time staff
● Assist in achieving revenue targets, including creating strategies and initiatives for achieving those targets
● Play a major role in growing the DCFC retail business as the club moves into Alumni Field
● Manage cost of goods sold and track other retail expenses
● Hire, train, and develop staff
● Create SOP’s in order to ensure a consistent fan experience between all locations
Product Management:
● Product lifecycle management from initial idea to development, creation, and launch for all DCFC consumer products categories
● Licensor and vendor management, acting as the main point of contact for vendors
● Cost Analysis and Pricing for consumer products including markdown strategy
● Management of product mix and overall store offerings Graphic Design/Photography
● Photography, photo editing, and product descriptions for all consumer products on detcityfcstore.com
● Graphical mock-ups and graphic design for new products
● Creation of in-store promotional posters (sales, new products, ect)
Additional Duties
● Collaborate with ticketing team in creation of ticket packages that include a merchandise component
● Collaborate with the partnerships and marketing teams on gate giveaways
● Assist with team look ideation and execution, including creating spec sheets for manufacturing
● Assist with DCFC Youth Affiliate Club Spirit Wear designs and approval process
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be eager to learn, a creative thinker, self-motivated, and capable of working independently while showing a strong sense of teamwork. The position requires the ability to pursue information that may not be readily available, by developing and utilizing various sources, within and outside the company.
● Experience in a large scale sports retail environment, including management experience
● Minimum 3-5 years of retail experience preferred
● Understanding of local apparel trends, and DCFC’s unique place in the Detroit sports landscape
● Experience with product development, including an understanding of manufacturing processes, capabilities, and lead times
● Attention to detail
● Excellence and experience in collaboration and communication with multiple departments and internal and external stakeholders
● Curiosity about new products and a willingness to step outside the box of what other teams are doing in the retail space.
● Enthusiasm about the mission and meaning of DCFC and community engagement
● Flexibility to work evenings and weekends
● Attendance at most DCFC home matches (men’s and women’s first team)
The ideal candidate should also have working experience with the following:
● Retail POS systems (Square, Shopify, ect)
● Google Docs, Sheets, ect
● Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop (or similar software)
● Digital Photography and Image Manipulation
● Digital whiteboards (Miro, ect)
This position does require a valid driver’s license.
Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary aligned with experience.
Comprehensive benefits including health, and soon, retirement.
Professional growth opportunities within a fast-evolving soccer club on the cusp of significant expansion.
Supervisory Responsibility
This position has direct supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment
This job operates in an office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to exchange ideas and information. This is a somewhat sedentary role; however, some filing is required. The position requires the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets, and bend or stand on a stool as necessary.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Detroit City Football Club LLC is an equal opportunity employer that abides by all Federal, State, and local employment laws.
