Merchandising Partnerships Lead

At the NBA, we’re passionate about growing and celebrating the game of basketball. Through the intensity of the game and the amazing athletic skill of our players, we deliver excitement to hundreds of millions of fans around the world.

As a global sports and media business, the NBA is so much more. While Basketball Operations runs the league’s on-court activities, other departments manage relationships with television and digital media partners, develop marketing partnerships with some of the world’s most recognizable companies, oversee the licensing of NBA merchandise, and handle a wide range of responsibilities that drive the NBA’s success.

**Position Summary**

Oversee, build, and manage the growth and development of our NBA apparel, sporting goods, gaming and entertainment products, and retail strategy in Asia. This includes NBA Branded Retail for both physical based Shops/Corners and E-Commerce.

**Major Responsibilities**
- Drive the strategy, vision and revenue for NBA Asia’s consumer products IP licensing and retail partnerships business to secure long term revenue growth while also leveraging the merchandising business to grow the broader NBA Asia business
- Accountable for the account management of all merchandising licensees within the assigned portfolio, which includes managing a team and its operations in resolving day to day business issues, reviewing/approving submissions (product, marketing, & PR), and guiding promotion/advertising initiatives
- Responsible for maximizing the Asia business with our key global merchandising partners (Nike, Wilson, New Era, Fanatics, etc) and identifying opportunities for growth and alignment with cross-regional merchandising partners.
- Partner with the business development team in constructing new deals for merchandising partnerships. This includes strategizing on partnership commercial terms/rights with the business development team.
- Oversee the process of implementation and execution of renewals for merchandising partnerships. This includes strategizing on partnership commercial terms/rights as well as negotiations with partners on material terms related to those deals, with support from management
- Lead research initiatives to analyze competitive landscape in the sports/fashion apparel/retail industry in the region to drive our licensing and retail strategy as well as the overall NBA Asia business objectives
- Support integration and collaboration of merchandising partnerships team with the other Brand Partnerships verticals such as the marketing partnerships, business development and partners solutions teams as well as cross-functionally within the Asia teams and with our global and regional teams.

Financial and business planning:

- Establish and set strategic and financial goals as it relates to merchandise and retail licensing partnerships, which includes annual budget planning and quarterly revenue forecasting and tracking
- Develop, present, and monitor annual plans, including management buy-in, objective setting, and team resource prioritization
- Oversee merchandise and retail licensees’ business plans throughout the year to ensure the positive financial health of the partnership to mitigate relief asks and secure successful partnership renewals

Management:

- Coach, manage, and mentor a team of merchandise licensing professionals across three offices (HK, Singapore, Manila)
- Perform supervisory functions: hiring, onboarding, coaching, development, performance, and expense planning and tracking
- Build and develop relationships across the Asia organization and globally to align on regional and global priorities to drive overall NBA Asia business objectives and revenue

**Required Skills/Knowledge**
- At least 12-15 years of consumer products IP licensing experience and retail partnership
- 5+ years’ experience managing a team with strong leadership skills, excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
- Strong relationship building skills, flexible, patient; able to collaborate, and influence at all levels (internal/external)
- Capable of working independently and managing a variety of initiatives / opportunities simultaneously
- Self-motivated, ability to manage projects with mínimal direction, strategic thinker, entrepreneurial
- Excellent knowledge of brand positioning, retail / e-comm business development, distribution, and environment
- Ability to work well in a dynamic Global Corporation while also being able to work cross-culturally in a highly matrixed organization
- Travel as necessary, approximately 25%
- Role is based in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Shanghai

**Education**
- Bachelor’s degree in business management, MBA appreciated
- Fluency in English, at least one other Asian language, Japanese or Korean, preferred