Director, Product - Trading Cards (Entertainment)

About Us:

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming. The platform enables sports fans to buy licensed merchandise, collect physical and digital trading cards and memorabilia, and access sports betting and iGaming products.

About the Company:

Fanatics Collectibles operates at the intersection of collectibles, culture, and technology. The company is building a global leader in next-generation collectibles and reimagining the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.

Role Summary:

The Product Director – Trading Cards is a senior leader responsible for setting the long-term product vision, strategy, and roadmap across Fanatics Collectibles’ trading card portfolio. This role leads a high-performing product organization, driving innovation, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment to deliver trading card products and collector experiences.

The ideal candidate is a strong people leader, strategic thinker, and expert storyteller with executive presence. They bring deep knowledge of trading cards, consumer products, licensing, and collector engagement, along with a passion for building innovative physical products and experiences.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Leadership:

• Define and own the multi-year product vision, roadmap, and release strategy across the trading card portfolio.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product managers.
• Establish a culture of innovation and experimentation in card design, technology, formats, and collector experiences.
• Drive organizational alignment through clear communication, storytelling, and data-driven decision-making.

Innovation & Category Growth:

• Identify emerging product, technology, and collector trends.
• Explore new product formats, premium offerings, digital integrations, and exclusive programs.
• Champion storytelling and brand integration within product narratives, content, and release strategies.
• Leverage organizational partnerships to build cross-category product innovation.

Licensing, Partnerships & Relationship Management:

• Represent the product organization to licensors, partners, athletes, talent representatives, and key stakeholders.
• Build trust with executive-level partners and negotiate product rights, approvals, timelines, and innovation opportunities.
• Unlock new partnerships across brands, talent, technology partners, and global markets.
• Ensure licensing agreements align with product vision, profitability goals, and category expansion.

Product Development & Operational Excellence:

• Oversee all phases of trading card product development, ensuring timely, on-budget delivery and high quality.
• Partner with manufacturing, design, operations, and supply chain teams.
• Guide autograph, memorabilia, chase-content, and product differentiation strategies.
• Ensure brand guidelines, quality standards, and compliance requirements are met.

Go-to-Market, Insights & Performance:

• Lead quarterly business reviews and executive presentations.
• Partner with sales, marketing, and e-commerce teams to maximize revenue and distribution.
• Analyze collector insights, market data, retailer feedback, and industry trends.
• Track KPIs, forecast demand, and manage product P&L.

Required Knowledge & Competencies:

• Deep understanding of trading card products, licensing models, consumer products economics, and collector trends.
• Strong understanding of collector behavior, fan engagement, and product storytelling.
• Expert-level leadership capabilities, including team management, coaching, and influencing cross-functional partners.
• Executive presence with exceptional presentation skills.
• Ability to think strategically while executing in a fast-paced environment.
• High creativity paired with operational discipline and attention to detail.

Qualifications:

• 8–10+ years of product management experience, preferably in trading cards, collectibles, consumer products, sports, entertainment, or licensing.
• Proven experience leading product teams and managing senior stakeholders across global organizations.
• Background in developing innovative physical products; trading card or collectibles experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA a plus.
• Passion for trading cards, collectibles, and fan culture.