VP, Publishing - Trading Card Games Seattle, WA, United States

Fanatics Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 320,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Fanatics TCG in Seattle is hiring a Vice President of Publishing to define the long-term strategy for launching and supporting trading card games, scale organized play, and shape the digital platforms that connect players across titles. You will lead a small senior team focused on digital product, community and publishing operations.

You will collaborate across Studios, Commercial, Retail, Product, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to build a durable ecosystem that serves players for a decade

Qualifications

• 12-18+ years in senior publishing, product, or operating leadership roles, ideally in TCG, gaming, or closely adjacent hobby categories.
• Strong publishing leadership from adjacent categories with ability to learn TCG-specific craft quickly.
• Builder and systems thinker focused on scale and sustained outcomes, not one-off launches.
• Comfort operating in white space, defining new functions and making decisions with incomplete information.
• Strong commercial and analytical literacy; speaks fluently with P&L owners without owning P&L.
• Player respect as a core operating value, advocating for players over long horizons.

Responsibilities

• Define long-term go-to-market strategy for Fanatics TCG, including launch, live-support, and lifecycle stewardship.
• Own the strategic direction of organized play across the portfolio, from store events to premier competition.
• Architect and scale the player-facing digital ecosystem, including companion apps and deckbuilders.
• Build player identity and community infrastructure across titles.
• Identify how Fanatics’ publishing capabilities translate to TCG, navigating differences.
• Align cross-functional partners to ensure cohesive execution.
• Build and lead a small senior team for digital product, organized play, publishing operations, and community relations.

Skills

Publishing leadership

Product mindset

Systems thinking

Strong communication

Analytical literacy

Tools

Deckbuilders

Play clients

Community platforms

Job description

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 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 TCGs in the world.

Who We’re Looking For

As the Vice President of TCG Publishing, you are responsible for building the capabilities that turn great games into lasting ecosystems: defining how Fanatics TCG launches and supports trading card games; overseeing how players interact with our games through play; and shaping the digital and community infrastructure that connects players to our games and to each other.

Responsibilities

• Define the long-term go-to-market strategy for Fanatics TCG, including how we launch, live-support, and steward games over their full lifecycle. Your team will be responsible for release planning, set lifecycle management, and player communication cadence.
• Own the strategic direction of organized play across the portfolio, from store-level events through regional and premier competition, including judge programs, prize support philosophy, qualification structures, and the balance between competitive and casual play that sustains long-term ecosystem health.
• Architect and scale the player-facing digital ecosystem, including companion apps, deckbuilders, collection tools, rules references, and the play clients that extend our games beyond the table.
• Build the player-identity and community infrastructure that connects players to us and to each other across titles: accounts, cross-title player identity, community platforms, creator and influencer programs, and the publishing voice.
• Identify where Fanatics' existing trading-card publishing capabilities translate to TCG, and navigate the differences.
• Align cross-functional partners across Studios, Commercial, Retail, Product, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to ensure cohesive execution.
• Build and lead a small, senior, high-leverage team responsible for digital product, organized play, publishing operations, and community and player relations.

Qualifications

• 12-18+ years in senior publishing, product, or operating leadership roles, ideally in TCG, gaming, or closely adjacent hobby categories. Strong publishing leaders from adjacent categories with the appetite and humility to learn TCG-specific craft fast will also be considered
• A genuine product mind for player-facing software, not just an operational one. Holds their own with digital product leaders on roadmap, prioritization, and what makes a companion product loved versus tolerated
• A builder and systems thinker who creates repeatable capabilities – focused on scale and sustained outcomes rather than launch by launch
• Comfort operating in white space – defining functions that don't yet exist, drawing boundaries with peers in real time, and making calls without complete information
• Strong commercial and analytical literacy; speaks fluently with P&L owners without owning the P&L
• Player respect as a core operating value, with excellent instincts about what serves the player base over a ten-year horizon, and the willingness to advocate for them in rooms focused on shorter time scales

Preferred Experience

• Senior leadership experience inside a major TCG publisher
• Experience designing or running organized play programs at scale
• Background in hybrid physical + digital ecosystems or marketplace businesses
• Familiarity with licensing, IP partnerships, or entertainment ecosystems
• Experience in high-growth consumer or digital commerce environments
• Passion for trading card games, gaming, and fan culture

Location

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

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 (including @collectfanatics.com). For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. This salary range is specific to Seattle and may not be applicable to other locations. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Fanatics will never ask candidates for money, banking information, or other sensitive personal information as part of the interview process. If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Fanatics recruiting, please do not respond and report it here .

As set forth in Fanatics Collectibles’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.