Apparel Program Manager

League One Volleyball (LOVB); United States; Remote; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative organization is seeking an Apparel Program Manager to lead apparel projects and collaborate with stakeholders in the volleyball community. This role is pivotal in managing product needs for youth tournaments and professional athletes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Join a dynamic team dedicated to transforming the sport of volleyball and empowering athletes at all levels. If you have a passion for sports and a knack for organization, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact in a rapidly growing league that champions women in sports.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employee Assistance Program

Professional Development Plans

Remote Work Flexibility

Diverse Team Environment

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience with apparel sponsors and youth sports environments.
• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee apparel projects and manage relationships with stakeholders.
• Develop program strategies and manage budgets for successful execution.

Skills

Apparel Management

Communication Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Attention to Detail

Project Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “love”) is reimagining the sport of volleyball, and is the only professional league that has a youth-to-pro ecosystem. We believe in the power of sport to create better life outcomes for those who play it.

Launched in 2019, LOVB today has the largest youth volleyball community in the U.S., with over 14,000 youth athletes across twenty-six states. LOVB is launching its pro league in January 2025 from the grassroots up, built from its foundation of junior volleyball clubs and led by the world’s best professional players. The idea behind LOVB is championing athletes through their entire volleyball journey, from getting introduced to the sport and developing as youth players, to supporting their recruitment to college programs, to creating pathways for athletes to play professional volleyball here in the United States.

It is a groundbreaking time for volleyball, with record audiences viewing the college game, volleyball the #1 most played girls' U.S. youth team sport, and 38M current and former players across the country today. Through LOVB, we are focused on driving both participation in the sport and its fandom, while actively supporting youth and professional players. In this role, you will join a mission-driven, roll-up-your-sleeves team of innovators and builders who have come together to change the paradigm of professional volleyball and women’s sport.

The Role:

As the Apparel Program Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating multiple related apparel projects between key external stakeholders and internal team members across Club and Pro. With a focus on successful implementation and execution of ongoing program deliverables, you will focus on managing the day-to-day with our national club distributor, along with providing key execution responsibilities for LOVB Pro apparel and gear for athletes and coaches. You will also own and manage all product needs to support LOVB Central Youth Tournament needs. You will align with organizational goals by managing budgets, timelines, resources and stakeholder communication, while proactively identifying and mitigating risks to achieve successful on time delivery.

Responsibilities:

1. National Distributor Club Program Management
   1. Strategic Planning

      In conjunction with club, merchandising and commercial leads, develop and implement program strategies that align with organizational goals, including defining program objectives, scope, and deliverables.

   2. Project Oversight

      Manage multiple workflow projects simultaneously, monitoring progress, dependencies between projects and ensuring timely completion.

   3. Stakeholder Communication

      Manage/conduct weekly meetings to facilitate effective communication such as status updates, key decisions, and potential issues to stakeholders at all levels.

2. Pro Apparel and Gear Manager
   1. Product assortment planning and execution

      Create product assortment plans based on athlete and coach feedback, ensuring product selections meet performance needs.

      Ensure all brand marketing related apparel needs such as proper logos, branding, names, and the like are planned into the design process and successfully executed in final assortment.

      Visually communicate assortment line plan by team to Pro team members for distribution to athletes, coaches and bench staff.

      Proactively troubleshoot apparel and gear issues and employs creative problem solving Activities.

   2. Budget Management

      Control the program budget, allocating funds across projects and tracking expenditures by sub-project, rolling up to total spend.

3. Brand Sponsor Communication
   1. Stakeholder Communication

      Liaise with internal stakeholders such as Club RCL’s, Pro Sport team, design, brand and merchandising to effectively and efficiently communicate with National brand sponsor for various short- and long-term activations.

      Manage/conduct weekly meetings to facilitate effective communication such as status updates, key decisions, and potential issues to stakeholders at all levels.

   2. Product assortment planning and execution

      Create product assortment plans for product assortments at club tournaments, understanding key consumers in each market.

      Collaborate with club tournament leadership to create product plans that deliver on financial objectives while maintaining brand-right aesthetics.

      Project lead on style execution with Express/GTM team merchandising members - delivering quality product on time per tournament.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Must have 3-5 years experience engaging with apparel sponsors, distributors and athletes of all ages. Ideally will have experience working in a youth select club sports environment.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Personal attributes:

• Optimization-oriented, with an eye for detail.
• Enjoy and thrive working in a busy and dynamic environment.
• Ability to think on your feet and handle competing priorities.
• Solutions-oriented knowing when to escalate potential issues and challenges.
• A collaborator with excellent communication skills.
• A clear and friendly communication style with strong listening skills, both written and verbal.
• Must be a positive, proactive and organized team player.
• A deep passion for women's sports and female empowerment.
• A creative and 'out of the box' thinker who can challenge traditional sports/pro/media norms.
• Highly energetic and scrappy approach and strong willingness to roll up the sleeves and bias towards action.

Location:

Remotely based with willingness to travel for regular offsites and other business-related destinations.

Compensation and Benefits:

The pay range listed reflects the pay range for this position. The annual base salary for this role is $80,000-$90,000 plus our comprehensive benefits package. Actual compensation to the successful candidate may vary from posted hiring range based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level among other things.

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees with the same job classification. Individual pay is adjusted as performance is demonstrated and sustained at increasingly competent levels over time.

• Goal & Performance-Based Culture: Work from anywhere while pursuing your professional goals. Your success is measured by your contributions and impact.
• Competitive Salary: We provide competitive base salaries with additional earning opportunities based on your role and performance.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Enjoy health, dental, and vision insurance with competitive company contributions to support you when you need it most.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability: We offer 100% employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance to provide financial protection in case of illness or injury.
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance: LOVB provides basic life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance at no cost, offering peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance: For additional coverage, we offer voluntary life and AD&D insurance options to suit your personal needs.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of pre-tax benefits with our healthcare and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Access support for personal or professional challenges through our comprehensive EAP.
• Innovation & Personalization: Your growth is at the heart of our growth. We collaborate with you to create Individual Success Plans for your development.
• Amazing Teammates: Join a fun, super-smart team spread across 32 states. Our community thrives on diversity, creativity, and mutual support.
• Core Values in Action: We embody Community, Courage, Trust, Transparency, and Openness in everything we do, achieving something bigger together.

LOVB is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.