Director, Organized Play - TCG

Fanatics Commerce; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 174,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Fanatics TCG, a Seattle-based studio within Fanatics Collectibles, seeks a Director of Organized Play to design and run programs from casual store nights to premier championships. You’ll define structure, formats, and prize support to sustain healthy ecosystems worldwide.

Lead judge/TO programs, partner with Play, Product, Marketing and Retail to align events with lifecycles, and track metrics to drive participation, retention, and growth.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in organized play or similar, with direct experience at a major publisher or game company.
• Proven track record designing and scaling OP programs from local events to premier circuits.
• Experience building and managing judge/TO programs and community training.
• Strong product and commercial instincts: OP drives game health and franchise value.
• Cross-functional collaboration with design, marketing, and retail to integrate OP.
• Comfort in early-stage environments; able to define programs with limited information.
• Genuine passion for trading card games and respect for the player community.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, design, and execution of organized play across the full competitive spectrum.
• Define the structural philosophy of OP ecosystem: qualifications, prize support, formats.
• Build and manage judge and tournament organizer programs and ongoing support.
• Partner with leadership to align OP with retail activation and product timing.
• Work cross-functionally with Leadership, Product, Marketing, and Commercial.
• Define and track OP health metrics to drive improvement.
• Represent OP with tournament organizers, local stores, regional operators, and players.
• Build a lean team capable of scaling multiple world-class OP programs.

Skills

Systems thinker

Strong communicator

Player-first orientation

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical and data-literate

Calm under pressure

Job description

About Us

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.

About the Company

Fanatics Collectibles is a new company operating at the intersection of collectibles, culture, and technology. Backed by world-class investors, operators, and sports & entertainment partners, we are building the global leader in next-generation collectibles. As part of the broader Fanatics ecosystem, we leverage a digital sports platform that spans over 900 sports properties and engages more than 81 million fans. Together, we are reimagining every part of the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.

About the Team

Fanatics TCG is a new Seattle-based trading card game studio within the Fanatics Collectibles family, founded by industry veterans with a long-term mandate: to build enduring franchises that live across tabletop, digital, community, and culture. We're looking for the most skilled and passionate talent in the games industry and beyond to help us create the best trading card games in the world.

Who We're Looking For

We're seeking a Director of Organized Play who has designed and run programs that served players from their first local game night through regional qualifiers and premier events. You know how to strike the balance between competitive integrity and the kind of accessibility that keeps ecosystems healthy for the long term. You understand organized play as one of the most powerful levers a TCG has: it builds community, drives product engagement, and defines the competitive identity of a game. You're ready to build organized play systems that bring the joy of community and competition to players around the world.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, design, and execution of Fanatics TCGs organized play programs across the full competitive spectrum - from casual and store-level events through regional circuits and premier championships
• Define the structural philosophy of our OP ecosystem: qualification pathways, prize support, format philosophy, competitive tiers, and the balance between competitive and casual play that sustains long-term player engagement
• Build and manage judge and tournament organizer programs, including certification, training, community development, and ongoing support infrastructure
• Partner closely with the Director of Play and Retail Ecosystems to ensure organized play and retail activation are mutually reinforcing - aligning event formats, product timing, and store support to drive participation at every level
• Work cross-functionally with trading card game Leadership, Product, Marketing, and Commercial teams to ensure OP programs are integrated into game design, set lifecycle planning, and go-to-market strategy from the start
• Define and track the metrics that matter for OP health - participation rates, event growth, player retention, and competitive ecosystem balance - and use them to continuously improve
• Represent the organized play function with external stakeholders including tournament organizers, local game stores, regional operators, and the competitive player community
• Build a lean, high-impact team capable of designing and executing multiple world-class organized play programs as the studio’s game portfolio grows

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of experience in organized play, competitive gaming operations, or a closely related field, with direct experience at a major trading card game publisher or game company
• Proven track record of designing and scaling OP programs - from local event structures through premier competitive circuits - with a deep understanding of what drives player participation and retention at each tier
• Experience building and managing judge or TO programs, including community development, training systems, and dispute resolution frameworks
• Strong product and commercial instincts: you understand how organized play drives game health, product sell-through, and long-term franchise value
• Experience working cross-functionally with game design, marketing, and retail teams to integrate OP into broader product and go-to-market planning
• Comfort operating in an early-stage environment - defining programs that don't yet exist, making calls with incomplete information, and building infrastructure that can scale
• Genuine passion for trading card games and deep respect for the competitive player community

Skills & Abilities

• Systems thinker who can design organized play structures that are simple to participate in, hard to game, and scalable across titles and regions
• Strong communicator who can represent the OP function clearly to internal leadership and externally to the player and organizer community
• Player-first orientation - you advocate for the player experience in rooms focused on shorter time horizons
• Highly collaborative and effective across functions; able to work with game designers, marketers, retail partners, and digital product teams without losing sight of the end player
• Analytical and data-literate: able to define meaningful OP metrics, interpret participation and retention data, and translate findings into program improvements
• Calm under the pressure of live events and competitive seasons; experienced managing the operational complexity of large-scale tournaments

Location

All employees of Fanatics TCG are expected to be onsite in our Seattle office five days per week.

Seattle Salary Range

$173,650-$216,200 USD