--- title: 'Senior Director, Manufacturing Technology Strategy at Fanatics Collectibles' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-manufacturing-technology-strategy-fanatics-collectibles-new-qv56q6m2wd5c' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Senior Director, Manufacturing Technology Strategy at Fanatics Collectibles - **Company:** Fanatics Collectibles - **Location:** New York NY, United States / Sunnyvale TX, United States - **Compensation:** $220k–$275k - **Posted:** 2026-09-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fanaticscollectibles/jobs/4378095009 ## 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. Mission Serve as a subject matter expert in manufacturing scale, automation, robotics, and operational systems while helping leaders define the capabilities, operating models, decision-making operating structures, and strategic priorities required to support future card production growth. The role partners across Operations, Finance, Product, Supply Chain, Facilities, and Manufacturing Technology to identify capability gaps, guide strategic initiatives, develop scalable operating models, and provide expert review and feedback on major investments and improvement efforts. Rather than owning day-to-day execution, this position helps ensure the organization is making sound decisions, building the right capabilities, and developing the foundation required for long-term growth and card production. ## Why This Role Is Important As we continue to grow, the complexity of manufacturing operations, automation investments, capacity expansion, technology deployment, and cross-functional coordination continues to increase. Today, many strategic initiatives are owned by leaders whose primary responsibility is operating the business on a day-to-day basis. While these leaders possess deep expertise within their respective functions, limited time and competing operational priorities often make it difficult to step back and define the future-state operating model, identify capability gaps, establish governance structures, and develop the long-term plans required to support sustainable growth. As a result, strategic initiatives are often evaluated independently, decisions can become reactive, ownership may be unclear, and critical organizational capabilities may not be developed before they are needed. This increases execution risk, slows decision-making, creates inefficiencies across functions, and can lead to investments being made without a clear understanding of long-term operational requirements. This role provides dedicated expertise and organizational capacity focused on helping the business define where it is going, what capabilities are required to support that future, and what foundational work must be completed to achieve it. By partnering across Operations, Manufacturing Technology, Finance, Supply Chain, Product, and Executive Leadership, this position helps ensure the organization is building the systems, processes, mechanisms, and capabilities necessary to scale effectively ## Role Positioning This role does not own day-to-day manufacturing operations, project execution, engineering implementation, or continuous improvement activities. Instead, the role serves as a strategic advisor, coach, and subject matter expert focused on helping the organization define future-state capabilities, evaluate strategic opportunities, identify organizational gaps, and establish the decision-making, planning, and operating mechanisms required to support long-term growth. The role works closely with functional leaders and teams, providing guidance, mentorship, constructive challenge, and expert feedback to help improve decision-making, strengthen strategic plans, develop organizational capabilities, and increase execution readiness. While responsibility for implementation remains with the appropriate functional teams, this role helps ensure initiatives are thoughtfully evaluated, aligned to long-term objectives, and supported by the capabilities necessary for success. Problems This Role Helps Solve - Lack of a Defined Future-State Operating Model - The organization does not always have a shared view of how manufacturing, automation, planning, finance, and operational systems should function together as the business scales. - Reactive Decision-Making - Many decisions are made in response to immediate needs rather than as part of a structured long-term strategy, increasing the risk of misaligned priorities and investments. - Unclear Ownership and Accountability - As initiatives become more cross-functional, responsibilities, decision rights, and accountability can become difficult to define and maintain. - Missing Organizational Capabilities - Critical capabilities, processes, tools, reporting mechanisms, and subject matter expertise are not always identified and developed before they become constraints to growth. - Inconsistent Evaluation of Strategic Initiatives - Automation, technology, process improvement, and capacity expansion opportunities are often evaluated using different assumptions, methodologies, and success criteria. - Limited Cross-Functional Alignment - Teams may be pursuing improvements independently without a common framework for prioritization, planning, decision-making, and execution. - Lack of Scalable Standardized Mechanisms - The business lacks consistent forums, review processes, and decision-making structures needed to effectively guide strategic initiatives as complexity increases. Organizational Value This role creates dedicated organizational capacity focused on the future of the manufacturing business. While operational leaders remain focused on executing today’s priorities, this position helps ensure the organization is simultaneously preparing for future growth by identifying capability gaps, defining future-state operating requirements, evaluating strategic opportunities, and guiding the development of the systems, processes, standardized structures, and organizational capabilities needed to support long-term scale. By leveraging deep expertise in manufacturing operations, automation, robotics, and manufacturing technology, the role serves as a force multiplier for leadership teams. Through strategic guidance, coaching, constructive challenge, and expert review, this position helps improve decision-making, strengthen cross-functional alignment, accelerate capability development, reduce execution risk, and increase organizational readiness for future capacity expansion. Success is measured through the organization’s ability to make better strategic decisions, develop critical capabilities, improve cross-functional alignment, and build the foundation necessary to support long-term manufacturing growth. Core Responsibilities Future-State Planning - Help define and the future-state operating model required to support growth and capacity expansion. - Identify capabilities, systems, processes, and organizational structures required to support that future state. - Develop strategic roadmaps and glidepaths for capability development. - Partner with business leaders to evaluate future capacity requirements and help define the operational, technological, and organizational capabilities required to support planned growth. Subject Matter Expertise - Serve as an internal expert in manufacturing operations, automation, robotics, systems, and scale. - Provide technical and operational guidance on major initiatives, investments, and improvement opportunities. - Review plans and assumptions to identify risks, gaps, and opportunities. Capability Development - Identify organizational capability gaps that may limit future growth. - Partner with leaders to define ownership, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making structures. - Help establish frameworks, standards, and best practices that improve organizational effectiveness. Strategic Guidance - Facilitate alignment across functions on strategic priorities and major initiatives. - Help create appropriate forums, review mechanisms, and decision-making processes. - Provide visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, and organizational readiness. Coaching & Mentorship - Mentor teams and leaders on operational excellence, automation strategy, planning, and scalable execution. - Help teams develop stronger business cases, planning approaches, and implementation strategies. - Act as a force multiplier by sharing expertise and helping others succeed. - Provide regular feedback through established business review cadences. Success Looks Like Within 6 months: - Future-state operating model defined. - Key capability gaps identified. - Strategic roadmap and glidepath established. Within 12 months: - Standardization and decision-making mechanisms operating effectively. - Foundational capability-building initiatives underway. - Teams are using common frameworks and planning approaches. - Leadership has improved visibility into priorities, ownership, execution readiness, and impact. 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](http://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 New York City 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/ NYC Salary Range $220,000—$275,000 USD By submitting your application, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our [Candidate Privacy Policy.](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ff494b9931735466ce28d5b/t/69de53bde2c02c25e9c38758/1776178110037/Candidate+Privacy+Policy+April+2026.pdf) ## About Fanatics Collectibles ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Fanatics Collectibles is a leading licensee, producer, designer, and seller of physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and digital collectibles, operating as the collectibles division of global sports retail giant Fanatics Inc. - **Entity Type**: Private (subsidiary of private company Fanatics Inc.) - **Headquarters**: New York, NY, United States (primary business roles); major operations also in Sunnyvale, TX and Tigard, OR [fanaticsinc.com](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collectibles) - **Founded**: Division launched around 2021-2022 (parent company Fanatics Inc. founded 1995) - **Founders**: Michael Rubin (founder of Fanatics Inc.); collectibles leadership team includes industry veterans ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Sports trading cards and collectibles (physical and digital manufacturing, marketplace, and livestream commerce) - **Target customers**: B2C collectors, hobbyists, and investors; B2B partnerships with leagues, teams, and creators - **Mission or purpose**: “Relentlessly focused on improving the collector experience and growing the hobby for the benefit of all” [fanaticsinc.com](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collectibles) ## Products & Services - **[Fanatics Collect Marketplace](https://www.fanaticscollect.com/sell)**: An online marketplace for buying and selling trading cards, memorabilia, and collectibles, featuring vaulting, grading partnerships (PSA, CGC, SGC, Beckett), and consignment services. - **[Fanatics Live](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collect)**: A livestream shopping app for live box breaks, creator-run events, and real-time card purchasing (launched summer 2024, acquired Voggt for European expansion). - **Physical & Digital Trading Cards**: Licensed manufacturing of trading cards for MLB, NFL, NBA, and other leagues under brands like Topps and Panini (through exclusive league deals). - **High-End Private Sales**: Partnership with Sotheby’s to sell cards valued at $100K+ [fanaticsinc.com](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collect). ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Parent company Fanatics Inc. valued at approximately $31 billion (2024, per Forbes) – collectibles division share not separately disclosed. - **Key Metric**: Over 3.1 million total cards sold and 740,000 total collectors on Fanatics Collect platform [fanaticscollect.com](https://www.fanaticscollect.com/sell). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Fanatics Inc. investors include Silver Lake, SoftBank, and Michael Rubin. Key partners: MLB, NFL, NBA, MLBPA, NFLPA, NBPA, Sotheby’s, and grading services PSA etc. - **Growth Signals**: Exclusive long-term licensing with major U.S. sports leagues; launch of Fanatics Collect and Fanatics Live in 2024; acquisition of European livestream platform Voggt; expansion into high-end auctions via Sotheby’s; 170+ open jobs globally [greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fanaticscollectibles). ## Competitive Advantages - **Exclusive League Deals**: Holds exclusive rights to produce physical and digital trading cards for MLB, NFL, NBA (and related players associations), creating a near-monopoly on officially licensed cards. - **Vertical Integration**: Controls design, manufacturing, marketplace, grading, vaulting, and livestream distribution, capturing value at every step. - **Scale & Brand**: Backed by Fanatics’ global retail infrastructure, access to athletes, media partnerships, and a massive customer base. ## Strategic Focus - **Digital Ecosystem**: Expanding from physical cards into digital collectibles, NFTs, and app-based marketplaces. - **Livestream Commerce**: Scaling Fanatics Live (including international via Voggt) to replicate the social “breaking” experience. - **International Growth**: Building presence in Europe (Paris, London, Frankfurt, Milan) and Asia (Shanghai, Hong Kong) with dedicated business roles. - **Collector Experience**: Enhancing platform with AI-driven pricing (Card Ladder integration), instant payouts, and consignment convenience. ## Why Work Here - **Dynamic Industry**: Work at the intersection of sports, pop culture, and technology with a company that “owns the conversation” in collectibles. - **Growth Trajectory**: Rapidly expanding division with new products (live streaming, marketplace, international) and hundreds of open roles across engineering, product, marketing, operations, and more. - **Global Presence**: Offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and operations hubs in Texas and Oregon; hybrid/office policies vary by role. - **Culture**: Described as having a “world-class executive team” focused on innovation and operational excellence [fanaticsinc.com](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collectibles). - **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work directly with major sports leagues, athletes, and cutting edge live-commerce tech; roles in data analytics, software engineering, supply chain, and creative. ## Sources 1. [Fanatics Inc. – Fanatics Collectibles](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collectibles) 2. [Fanatics Inc. – Fanatics Collect](https://www.fanaticsinc.com/fanatics-collect) 3. [Fanatics Collect – Sell/Consign](https://www.fanaticscollect.com/sell) 4. [Fanatics Collectibles Careers – Greenhouse](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fanaticscollectibles) 5. [Fanatics Collectibles Job Listings (171 jobs)](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fanaticscollectibles/jobs/4208219009) ## Other roles at Fanatics Collectibles - [Auto Ops Sticker Assessment Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/auto-ops-sticker-assessment-coordinator-fanatics-collectibles-sunnyvale-tx-r2jc2krjg51c) — Sunnyvale TX, United States - [Executive Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-fanatics-collectibles-london-england-twnq6zym1fp0) — London England, United Kingdom - [Digital Print Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/digital-print-operations-manager-fanatics-collectibles-allen-tx-g194vr8b0875) — Allen TX, United States - [Senior Engineer, Android (Instant Rips)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-engineer-android-instant-rips-fanatics-collectibles-new-york-ny-znebc07b0aww) — New York NY, United States - [Lead, Affiliate Partner Programs](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-affiliate-partner-programs-fanatics-collectibles-los-angeles-ca-mwhz91p3fz7k) — Los Angeles CA, United States / New York NY, United States - [Executive Assistant III](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-iii-fanatics-collectibles-sunnyvale-tx-xhgzf0zwg5xn) — Sunnyvale TX, United States - [Engineering Manager - D2C Trust & Safety](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-manager-d2c-trust-safety-fanatics-collectibles-ciudad-de-mexico-zy6qx38h9yws) — Ciudad de México, Mexico - [Associate, Product Architecture](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-product-architecture-fanatics-collectibles-new-york-ny-vwm2fa6j8x9d) — New York NY, United States - [Content Producer - Disney](https://feeny.ai/job/content-producer-disney-fanatics-collectibles-new-york-ny-8gwp0mvetxf9) — New York NY, United States - [QA Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/qa-coordinator-fanatics-collectibles-sunnyvale-tx-w6fa94enpv4z) — Sunnyvale TX, United States