Director, Retail Marketing

New Era Cap, LLC. is an international lifestyle brand headquartered in Buffalo, NY with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 100 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for MLB, official sideline cap for NFL, and official on-court cap for NBA, New Era Cap is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth. The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era Cap encourages people to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products.

Since 1920, this family-owned business has hired employees who are masters of their craft. We are innovators, architects of culture, experts, and forward thinkers. We demand excellence because we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the authenticity of our brand.

Interested in working with us? Check out this exciting opportunity at New Era Cap's Headquarters (HQ) building located in downtown Buffalo, NY. This role is 100% on-site, encouraging employees to collaborate and connect in person five days a week. HQ offers an inviting atmosphere, complete with an on-site cafe, fitness center, and Flagship store.

Apply to join New Era's team!

The Retail Marketing Director leads the strategic planning, development, and execution of marketing plans and communications for designated key accounts across all league licenses and retail formats. The ideal candidate is an effective leader with a deep understanding of in-store experience and digital marketing strategies, retail trends, and consumer behavior. This role will oversee a team responsible for driving brand awareness, sell-in and sell-through of product at our wholesale/third-party retail environments, and elevating the New Era brand to key retail partners and ultimately, the consumer.

Responsibilities

• Leads the development and execution of strategic retail marketing plans for execution in brick-and-mortar locations or on digital platforms for key wholesale accounts across each league license (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MiLB, and others)
• Partners with Marketing Leadership and Sales Management to ensure annual and long-term product and marketing strategies are aligned for both account-specific and overall business plans across each sales channel (Key Accounts, Sporting Goods & Fan Specialty, Mall & Lifestyle)
• Serves as liaison to key wholesale accounts (Lids, Fanatics, DSG, Champs, Foot Locker, etc.) on all Marketing initiatives; owns relationships with stakeholders from account Marketing/Partnership teams with the goal of working collaboratively to promote sell-through of New Era product with each retailer
• Builds and manages an annual budget, tracking reporting and resources within the team, inclusive of setting and measuring appropriate KPI's, growth targets and capital investment strategies on a rolling project-specific, monthly, and annual basis
• Champions the development of impactful and effective retail presentation and engagement strategies that create brand awareness, elevate the brand, and drive sell-through of New Era product
• Drives an effective go-to-market process to position the brand and its products with retail partners across all channels at sell-in; drives sell-through via timely execution of all licensed/on-field and brand campaigns, initiatives, and product launches on an ongoing basis, in line with New Era's commercial selling seasons
• Builds and manages strong relationships with league partners across each license to ensure alignment on retail marketing strategy across wholesale accounts
• Oversees and coaches a highly efficient, forward-thinking, and growth-oriented team while fostering a collaborative and results-driven culture; ensure structure and talent are aligned with New Era's goals
• Partners with other key cross-functional business partners (Licensed, Lifestyle, and Digital Marketing, Product, Merchandising, Creative Services) to bring brand campaigns to life at retail, ensure the brand's product and creative vision is carried through to each environment, and drive deeper, and more relevant storytelling
• Conceptualizes fresh and innovative on-site events and activations in partnership with retail accounts surrounding major tentpole moments across each league, or other key dates for each account
• Maintains network of external vendors and agencies (production, creative, merchandising, etc.) with an emphasis on quality, brand standards, and best practices
• Maintains complete knowledge of key retail partners and possesses the ability to adapt to changing trends to position the New Era brand effectively through all channels
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Behaviors

• Excellent project management, organization, verbal and written communication skills
• Strong knowledge of sports marketing industry, licensed product, and wholesale retail
• Passion for consumer experiences - visual merchandising/in-store presentation, events and activations, digital marketing, and other tools that drive traffic and increase conversion at retail
• Strong understanding of the power of the New Era Brand in sports and culture, committed to generating new ideas and concepts that will drive growth and enhance the brand's position across headwear and apparel
• Expert skill in envisioning, developing, communicating and enforcing retail brand standards
• Comprehension of financial data and budgets
• Strong experience building relationships with retailers and business partners including executives, marketing and buying teams and sales leadership
• Collaborative, able to work well with others across multiple levels of both internal and external organizations, and contribute individual capabilities in the achievement of group objectives
• Energetic and outgoing person who embraces a fast-paced work environment and approaches projects with a sense of urgency and persistence with a solution-based mentality
• Ability to handle changing priorities and work collaboratively across organizational structures
• Must be able to demonstrate previous success in the following areas:
  • Leading overall Retail Marketing strategies and execution (in-store experience, visual merchandising & product presentation, fixture & space development, digital marketing, social media)
  • Building retail experiences targeting a similar consumer audience in sports and lifestyle culture
  • Working knowledge of retail math, space planning, and profitability drivers within multiple retail channels and environments
  • Go-to-market leadership developing annual or seasonal presentations and initiatives to drive key concepts during sell-in to accounts, with demonstrated execution and KPI's at sell-through
  • Event marketing/management experience with similar consumer audiences across similar channels and categories of business
  • Team leadership and development

Education / Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field required
• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience, with at least seven (7) years in a leadership role preferably in a similar category of products (headwear, apparel, accessories, footwear) and/or relevant brand in Sports, Licensed Products, Fashion, Luxury, Streetwear or Lifestyle
• Proficiency in Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop) is a plus

Travel Requirement

• The location for this position is 100% on-site in Buffalo, NY
• Up to 30% domestic

New Era Cap, LLC is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer that believes in inclusion and does not discriminate against any candidate or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, genetics, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

The salary range for this posted position is $140,00 - $190,000 (plus bonus & benefits) and pertains to candidates located in Western New York. Actual compensation will fall within this range and is determined by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, education, essential job duties and requirements, and necessary experience.

Our casual work environment celebrates individuality and encourages employees to showcase their personal style. We pride ourselves on offering competitive compensation, a generous PTO policy, along with world-class benefits designed to promote health, financial stability, and personal growth.

As an employee, you'll enjoy a range of perks, including paid parking, exclusive discounts on apparel and headwear, and professional development opportunities right here on-site. We can't wait for you to experience all that our dynamic workplace has to offer!

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