Merchandise Development Specialist

The Pokémon Company International; Bellevue (KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid healthcare premiums

401k employer matching

Relocation package

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

The Pokémon Company International is seeking a Merchandise Development Specialist to lead category coherence, develop briefs, and guide product direction with a data-informed approach. You will partner with design and production teams to ensure brand storytelling and category growth across Home, Office, and Outdoors lines.

Strong experience in merchandise development, brand fluency, and clear communication is essential, with the ability to present concepts to stakeholders and manage multiple

Qualifications

• Five to seven years of experience in merchandise and graphic design development for consumer products such as apparel, accessories, home, office, or event-based merchandise.
• Advanced conceptual and practical knowledge of the product creation process, from early concept through readiness for production.
• Deep experience planning product cycles and contributing to merchandise strategies aligned to brand, customer, and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Own category or subcategory coherence, ensuring alignment with brand standards, customer expectations, and category goals, supported by data-informed reasoning.
• Translate strategy into actionable, visually compelling briefs for internal teams.
• Guide product direction across established lines and R&D opportunities using brand knowledge and market awareness.
• Own timelines, readiness, and quality for assigned product work, aligning deliverables with priorities and business goals.
• Independently manage 3-5 product sets across cross-functional teams.

Skills

Merchandise development

Brand storytelling

Product direction

Graphic design collaboration

Presentation skills

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International manages the Pokémon property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at corporate.pokemon.com and pokemon.com.

Get to know the role

• Job Title: Merchandise Development Specialist
• Job Summary: This role provides creative direction, brand context, and data-informed insight to guide product development. The Merchandise Development Specialist partners cross-functionally to shape product storytelling, brand integration, and category growth. Supporting a specific category (Home, Office, and Outdoors), this role developed product and graphic design briefs, defines new opportunities, guides quality, and ensures final assortments meet or exceed customer expectations. Strong product development experience, brand fluency, critical thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills are essential, along with strong communication with the ability to present product concepts to diverse stakeholders. This specialist role brings forward innovative ideas, improves processes, navigates both established product and R&D opportunities, and acts as a subject matter expert within a category.
• FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt
• People Manager: No

What you’ll do

• Product Direction, Planning & Execution

  • Own category or subcategory coherence, ensuring alignment with brand standards, customer expectations, and category goals, supported by data-informed reasoning.

  • Make informed decisions within scope, including in ambiguous situations, and expedite higher-risk or strategic issues.

  • Translate strategy into actionable, visually compelling briefs for internal teams.

  • Guide product direction across both established lines and R&D opportunities using brand knowledge and market awareness.

  • Own timelines, readiness, and quality for assigned product work, aligning deliverables with priorities and business goals.

  • Independently manage 3-5 product sets, maintaining clarity and momentum across cross-functional teams (Production, Project Management, Clients, Approvals).

• Brand Integration & Creative Guidance

  • Apply brand understanding to ensure product and the art on the product delivers clear, compelling storytelling and emotional connection for fans of all kinds.

  • Provide product and graphic design creative direction in partnership with Designers, aligning on intent, tone, and execution.

  • Evaluate creative output against brand standards and customer expectations; challenge and course-correct as needed.

  • Translate brand strategy and franchise moments into clear creative direction across category initiatives.

• Concept Development & Presentations

  • Lead concept development across subcategories, delivering 3-6 concepts per product set, plus additional contributions to broader assortments.

  • Develop and present multiple options, clearly outlining trade‑offs, risks, and opportunities with data-backed reasoning.

  • Recommend a preferred direction supported by brand, customer, and business insights.

  • Create clear, visual, and persuasive presentations connecting concepts to strategy and objectives.

  • Provide constructive feedback to strengthen peer concepts and presentations.

• Quality & Product Excellence

  • Evaluate product and execution against quality standards, market samples, category goals, and customer expectations.

  • Collect and apply data-informed insights through analysis of customer behavior, performance metrics, and market trends to guide product development.

  • Identify risks or gaps throughout the product development process and recommend corrective actions without owning execution.

  • Partner with management, clients, and Production to resolve issues and elevate when needed.

• Process Improvement & Team Elevation

  • Identify and recommend improvements to tools, workflows, and ways of working.

  • Pilot process improvements within owned areas and partner with leadership for broader adoption.

  • Share best practices and insights to improve team consistency and effectiveness.

  • Provide informal mentorship through guidance and feedback.

  • Model strong problem‑solving and challenge existing approaches constructively.

  • Support leadership initiatives with expertise and execution.

What you’ll bring

• Five (5) to seven (7) years of experience in merchandise and graphic design development for consumer products such as apparel, accessories, home, office, or event-based merchandise.
• Advanced conceptual and practical knowledge of the product creation process, from early concept through readiness for production.
• Deep experience planning product cycles and contributing to merchandise strategies aligned to brand, customer, and business objectives.
• Proven ability to work effectively across both established product lines and new (R&D) product development.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and related tools; experience working in product line management software preferred. Some proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite on macOS to support concept development and collaboration.
• Full proficiency in understanding product design constraints within a focused category, with the ability to navigate new product challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to propose solutions, improve processes, and work through ambiguity effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to build persuasive presentations and influence stakeholders.
• Ability to mentor peers informally and contribute to team development and quality elevation.

Base Salary Range:

For this role, new hires generally start between $95,000.00 - $127,000.00 per year. The full range is $95,000.00 - $172,000.00 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. The final base salary is directly related to the candidate’s qualifications and professional experience uniquely.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-JL1

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.
• Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve.
• Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.
• Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience.

What to expect

• An innovative culture driven by impact, delivering meaningful outcomes.
• Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon.
• Competitive cash-based compensation programs.
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you.
• Generous paid family leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.
• US Employees: 401k Employer Matching.
• UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Commuter benefit.
• LinkedIn learning.
• Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles.
• Hybrid work environment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work. In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

The Pokémon Company International is committed to the inclusion of all qualified applicants for consideration in our job application process. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].