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.

Maine Mariners

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Director of Merchandise and Retail Operations