Category Manager - Sneakers

StockX; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

StockX is expanding its sneaker culture leadership with a new Sneakers Category Manager. You will own end-to-end category growth, drive supply, engagement, and GMV, and serve as the in-house authority on sneaker culture, sellers, and marketplace dynamics.

You’ll build go-to-market playbooks, recruit flagship sellers, and partner with product, marketing, and engineering to shape features that matter to sneaker sellers and buyers. This role blends culture with strategy and hands-on execution.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in category management, partnerships, marketplace growth, brand, or operator roles in sneakers, streetwear, or adjacent ecosystems.
• Strong relationship builder with credibility among sellers, creators, and community members.
• Data-literate and commercially minded — you understand pricing, margins, liquidity, and incentives.
• Entrepreneurial, scrappy, and energized by building something from the ground up.
• Deeply embedded in sneaker culture — you know the people, platforms, trends, and economics.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the growth strategy for sneakers within the platform.
• Own category-level performance across supply, engagement, and revenue.
• Establish quarterly goals, leading indicators, and operating rhythms.
• Serve as the market and culture expert informing product, marketing, and platform decisions.
• Build and manage pipeline of sneaker sellers, shops, influencers, and creators.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Partnerships) to scale seller acquisition and success.

Skills

Sneaker culture knowledge

Category management

Marketplace growth

Data-driven

Entrepreneurial mindset

Job description

StockX is the world’s leading marketplace for current culture, built at the intersection of commerce, community, and credibility. Sneakers are foundational to StockX — not just as a category, but as a culture, an economy, and a global community.

We are expanding how sneaker culture shows up on StockX through creator-driven, community-oriented commerce experiences that blend storytelling, expertise, and transaction. To do this well, we need category leaders who don’t just understand the sneaker market — they live inside it.

The Sneakers Category Manager is the single-threaded owner of sneaker category growth within a new, high-priority commerce initiative. This person is the in-house expert on sneaker culture, people, economics, and moments — and is responsible for translating that expertise into supply growth, engagement, and GMV.

You will act as:

• The internal authority on the primary and secondary sneaker ecosystem


• The external face of StockX to sneaker sellers, creators, and community leaders


• The architect of the sneaker go-to-market / growth playbook for this new initiative

This role blends deep cultural fluency, strategic ownership, and hands-on execution. Early on, you will own everything related to sneakers within this initiative. As the category scales, you will grow into a leader overseeing a broader sneaker portfolio and team.

What You’ll Do:

Own the Sneakers Category End-to-End

• Define and execute the growth strategy for sneakers within the platform


• Own category-level performance across supply, engagement, and revenue


• Establish quarterly goals, leading indicators, and operating rhythms

Be the Market & Culture Expert

• Maintain deep, current knowledge of sneaker culture, including:


• Key sellers, creators, collectors, and resellers


• Drops, releases, brand dynamics, and cultural moments


• Pricing dynamics, liquidity, and resale economics


• Serve as the internal voice of the sneaker community, informing product, marketing, and platform decisions

Supply & Creator Acquisition

• Build and own a pipeline of high-impact sneaker sellers, shops, influencers, and creators


• Personally recruit and onboard flagship sellers who set the tone for the platform


• Develop seller strategies that balance credibility, storytelling, and commerce

Commerce Strategy & Category Moments

• Identify and orchestrate sneaker-specific moments, campaigns, and formats that drive engagement and conversion


• Partner with Category Marketing to design culturally authentic activations


• Experiment with new approaches and iterate quickly based on performance and feedback

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Account & Partnerships Managers to scale seller acquisition and support


• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to shape features and tools that matter to sneaker sellers and buyers


• Provide clear, actionable insights from the market to influence roadmap prioritization

Build the Playbook

• Document learnings, frameworks, and best practices that can be reused across future categories


• Help define what “great” looks like for category ownership at StockX


• Support hiring and onboarding as the sneaker category team grows

About you:

• Deeply embedded in sneaker culture — you know the people, platforms, trends, and economics, and you’re already plugged into the ecosystem


• 5+ years of experience in category management, partnerships, marketplace growth, brand, or operator roles in sneakers, streetwear, or adjacent ecosystems


• Comfortable owning outcomes, not just strategy — you execute, iterate, and adapt


• Strong relationship builder with credibility among sellers, creators, and community members


• Data-literate and commercially minded — you understand pricing, margins, liquidity, and incentives


• Entrepreneurial, scrappy, and energized by building something from the ground up

Nice to Have:

• Existing network of sneaker resellers, store owners, creators, or influencers


• Experience buying and selling sneakers or operating within resale marketplaces


• Familiarity with content-driven commerce, creator platforms, or enthusiast communities


• Experience working cross-functionally with product and engineering teams

Why This Role Matters:

Sneakers will define the early perception and success of this new commerce initiative at StockX. This role sets:

• The cultural bar for the platform


• The go-to-market & growth blueprint for future categories


• The credibility of StockX with the sneaker community

You will have outsized influence on how StockX expands its leadership from marketplace into deeper cultural engagement.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

Pursuant to the Colorado Fair Pay Act, the base salary range in Colorado for this position is $120,000 to $130,000, plus opportunities for benefits (e.g., medical, dental), equity and discretionary bonuses. Compensation in other geographies may vary.