Overview
Product Line Manager Jobs in Massachusetts, United States at Perfect Game
Title: Product Line Manager
Company: Perfect Game
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Position Summary
Perfect Game is seeking a strategic, analytical, and creative Product Line Manager to lead the development, merchandising, purchasing, and lifecycle management of our branded merchandise portfolio. This role is responsible for building product assortments that resonate with athletes, parents, coaches, and baseball fans while driving revenue growth, gross margin, and inventory productivity.
The Product Line Manager will own the product lifecycle from concept through sell-through, partnering with Creative, Marketing, E-Commerce, Operations, Event Management, and external vendors to deliver compelling collections across apparel, headwear, accessories, and licensed products. This individual will blend merchandising instincts with financial analysis to make data-driven buying decisions while identifying emerging trends within youth sports and baseball lifestyle apparel.
Key Responsibilities
Product Line Strategy & Development
- Own the vision, strategy, and execution of Perfect Game’s merchandise assortment.
- Develop seasonal product roadmaps aligned with business objectives.
- Identify new product opportunities using customer insights, sales trends, and market research.
- Build annual and seasonal collections across apparel, headwear, accessories, and event merchandise.
- Lead product development from concept through production and launch.
- Collaborate with Creative to develop graphics, branding, color stories, trims, embellishments, and packaging.
- Create exclusive merchandise for major Perfect Game tournaments and national events.
- Develop athlete collaborations, licensing opportunities, and strategic brand partnerships.
Merchandise Planning & Buying
- Develop merchandise assortments that maximize revenue, margin, and customer demand.
- Analyze historical sales performance to determine future buying strategies.
- Build category assortments by product type, size, color, and price point.
- Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets and purchasing plans.
- Execute seasonal buys while balancing inventory investment and cash flow.
- Determine optimal order quantities using demand forecasting and inventory analytics.
- Monitor inventory health and proactively manage replenishment opportunities.
- Improve inventory turns while maintaining strong in-stock positions.
- Evaluate category performance and adjust future assortments accordingly.
Finance & Analytics
- Own category sales, gross margin, profitability, and inventory performance.
- Develop pricing strategies across all merchandise categories.
- Analyze sell-through rates, inventory turns, and weeks of supply.
- Forecast sales by product, category, season, and event.
- Build demand forecasts using historical trends and business initiatives.
- Evaluate promotional effectiveness and pricing elasticity.
- Produce weekly and monthly performance reports with actionable recommendations.
- Identify risks and opportunities through ongoing business analysis.
Vendor & Supply Chain Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with domestic and international vendors.
- Negotiate pricing, minimum order quantities, payment terms, and production timelines.
- Issue and manage purchase orders from creation through reconciliation.
- Monitor production schedules to ensure on-time deliveries.
- Resolve supplier performance, quality, and delivery issues.
- Evaluate vendor scorecards based on quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness.
E-Commerce Merchandising
- Partner with the E-Commerce team to optimize online merchandising.
- Develop product launch calendars and promotional strategies.
- Recommend cross-selling and upselling opportunities.
- Optimize product categorization, collections, and seasonal merchandising.
- Collaborate on product photography, copy, and merchandising assets.
Marketing & Brand Collaboration
- Coordinate product launches around tournaments, national championships, and key baseball seasons.
- Support influencer, athlete, and brand partnership initiatives.
- Collaborate on limited-edition collections and capsule releases.
Qualifications Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Supply Chain, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in Product Management, Merchandise Planning, Buying, Category Management, or Product Development.
- Strong understanding of retail financial metrics including sales, margin, inventory turns, and GMROI.
- Experience managing Open-to-Buy (OTB) plans.
- Proven experience with purchase order management and vendor negotiations.
- Experience forecasting demand and inventory planning.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
- Experience using Shopify or similar e-commerce platforms.
- Strong analytical and financial acumen.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple product launches simultaneously.
- Preferred experience within sporting goods, apparel, baseball, or lifestyle brands.
- Familiarity with overseas manufacturing and sourcing.
- Experience using Figma, Asana, or ERP systems.
- Understanding of licensing and collaborative product development.
- Passion for baseball and youth sports.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking
- Product Development
- Merchandise Planning
- Buying & Assortment Planning
- Financial Analysis
- Inventory Management
- Vendor Negotiation
- Consumer Trend Analysis
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Project Management
- Communication & Presentation Skills
- Entrepreneurial Mindset
- Accountability
- Ownership
- Team-First Mentality
- Continuous Improvement
