Senior Sales Director - Fanatics Collectibles

Topps, a global leader in sports and entertainment collectibles, is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director of Sales to lead our commercial efforts across Japan. This pivotal role encompasses driving revenue growth, optimizing channel performance, and crafting and executing sales strategies tailored specifically to the Japanese market.

This position places strong emphasis on building trusted relationships, developing and expanding sales channels, managing product allocations and sales orders, and delivering high-quality sales reporting. The Senior Director will oversee all sales channels in Japan, including hobby stores, eCommerce, and mass retail, with a particular focus on Japan's distinctive retail and collector culture.

The ideal candidate will be a commercially savvy, data-driven leader with deep expertise in the Japanese market. They will be passionate about sports and collectibles, possess strong local relationships, and thrive in a dynamic environment that values innovation and ownership.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Strategy & Market Growth

• Develop and implement a comprehensive sales strategy for the Japan market, aligned with company goals and revenue objectives.
• Identify growth opportunities across physical and digital retail formats, including card shops, major eCommerce platforms, and mass retailers.
• Adapt strategies to align with the preferences and cultural nuances of Japanese collectors and consumers.

Relationship Building & Business Development

• Build and nurture strong, long-term partnerships with local retailers, distributors, breakers, and online marketplaces.
• Engage closely with cross-functional teams across the global business to ensure strategic alignment and market-specific support.
• Lead new business development initiatives to enter untapped regional markets and deepen presence in key areas of Japan.

Sales Operations & Allocations

• Oversee the full sales order process and manage product allocations to ensure optimal distribution across Japan's retail landscape.
• Work closely with supply chain and operations teams to forecast demand and balance inventory.

Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Establish a structured reporting cadence to track sales, channel performance, and allocation effectiveness.
• Leverage data analytics to identify trends, support strategic decisions, and continuously improve sales performance.

Multi-Channel Oversight

• Manage and drive growth across all sales channels, with a deep understanding of Japan's specialty retail and convenience store ecosystems.
• Coordinate with channel partners to plan in-store and digital promotions, merchandising initiatives, and community activations.

Customer Experience & Success

• Foster exceptional customer experiences for retail and distribution partners through consistent communication and issue resolution.
• Act as a brand ambassador to champion product excellence and partner satisfaction in Japan.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Build and lead a high-performing sales team with deep local knowledge and cultural fluency.
• Collaborate closely with global and regional teams to drive business success in Japan.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field; MBA preferred.
• Minimum 12 years of experience in sales leadership roles, with a strong track record in the Japanese market.
• Background in consumer goods, collectibles, toys, trading cards, or sports licensing highly preferred.
• Experience navigating and thriving in a global, multicultural business environment.
• Proficiency in managing product allocations and channel inventory.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Deep familiarity with Japan-specific retail, eCommerce, and pop culture trends.
• Experience managing and growing sales through local platforms like Rakuten, Amazon Japan, Yahoo! Shopping, and collaborations with convenience store chains.
• Fluency in Japanese and English is required.

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Subject to applicable laws, Fanatics Collectibles may choose to run a background check.

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address.

Fanatics Collectibles is a leading licensor, producer, designer, and seller of physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets for entertainment and sports properties globally, as well as a manufacturer of physical and digital trading cards. It has secured exclusive licensing arrangements with major national professional sports leagues, including the MLB, NFL and the NBA, and related players associations, to produce physical and digital trading cards and other collectibles.

Fanatics Collectibles also has partnerships with a number of individual international sports teams and leagues, as well as owners of other entertainment properties granting similar exclusive rights. Fanatics Collectibles recently announced Fanatics Live, expected to launch later in 2023, which will focus on transforming the digital shopping experience through personality-driven content and entertainment.