Manager, Emerging Business

ABOUT THE TEAM
Fanatics TCG is a new trading card game business, the newest member of the Fanatics Collectibles family. We are here to build the best TCG studio and games in the world.
To achieve this, we don’t just build great games; we build great partnerships. We are looking for a relationship-driven professional to help us cultivate the ecosystem of partners, licensors, and collaborators that will power the next generation of TCGs.

JOB PURPOSE
As a Manager, Emerging Business, you are the primary point of contact and relationship steward for our external partners. While leadership sets the high-level strategy, you are the one "in the room" making the connections work day-to-day.

You will manage the lifecycle of our partnerships—from initial outreach and exploratory conversations to the ongoing maintenance of complex licensing and business relationships. This role requires a blend of business development savvy, project management discipline, and a high degree of empathy for both our creative goals and our partners' needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Relationship Management: 
  • Act as the day-to-day lead for external partners, ensuring they feel supported, informed, and aligned with our studio’s roadmap.
• Pipeline Cultivation: 
  • Identify and research emerging trends, potential IP partners, and new business channels that align with the Fanatics TCG vision.
• Operational Liaison: 
  • Work closely with the Legal, Licensing, and Product teams to ensure contract terms are met and that partner feedback is integrated into the studio workflow.
• Negotiation Support: 
  • Lead mid-level negotiations and support executive leadership in complex deal-making by preparing data, decks, and relationship histories.
• Onboarding & Integration: 
  • Facilitate the transition from "signed deal" to "active partner," ensuring external stakeholders understand our creative process and delivery timelines.
• Market Presence: 
  • Represent Fanatics TCG at industry events, conventions, and partner meetings, serving as a knowledgeable and professional face of the studio.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Experience: 
  • 5+ years of experience in business development, account management, or licensing—ideally within the gaming, sports, or entertainment sectors.
• Partnership Track Record: 
  • Proven experience managing external stakeholders and navigating the "give and take" of complex business relationships.
• TCG/Hobby Fluency: 
  • A working knowledge of the trading card game landscape or collectibles market is a significant plus.
• Collaborative Style: 
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary studio environment where you must balance business needs with creative constraints.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Master Communicator: 
  • You excel at "the conversation." You can read a room, build rapport quickly, and manage difficult discussions with grace.
• Organizational Tenacity: 
  • You are the person who follows up, closes the loop, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks of a partnership.
• Analytical Thinking: 
  • Ability to evaluate potential business opportunities through the lens of both brand fit and financial viability.
• Ambassador Mindset: 
  • A professional demeanor that reflects the high standards of the Fanatics brand while remaining approachable to the TCG community and partners.

LOCATION & COMPENSATION

• Achieving our goals requires strong collaboration and partnership between our teams and internal stakeholders. To best support this, the person who accepts this role is expected to be onsite in-office five days per week.

The salary range for this position is $123,000- $154,000, which represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training.

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. 

Fanatics Collectibles is a new model and vision for the hobby, fundamentally changing the experience for current and future collectors, leagues, and players across many U.S. and international professional and college sports. The organization has long-term, exclusive rights to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards for several sports and entertainment properties, including MLB, MLBPA, the Premier League, MLS, UFC, Formula 1 as well as Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, among others. In January 2022, Fanatics Collectibles announced the acquisition of Topps, establishing the preeminent licensed trading card brand as the cornerstone of Fanatics’ trading cards and collectibles business, and jumpstarted its MLB and MLBPA rights to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards