Athlete Relations Sr. Associate, Appearances Full Time NEW

At Fanatics Commerce, we’re more than just a leader in licensed sports merchandise – we’re a team united by a relentless passion for our fans and a commitment to innovation. We live by our BOLD Leadership principles: We Build Championship Teams, we’re Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined and Relentless Mindset. If you’re ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.

Role Overview

The Athlete Relations Senior Associate, Appearances is a trusted operational lead responsible for owning the end-to-end coordination of athlete public appearances, photo ops, and brand activations. This role assumes primary accountability for a defined athlete portfolio within the Appearances function, serves as the on-site operational lead during events, and actively supports Associates to ensure consistent, high-quality execution.
Senior Associates in Appearances are expected to operate independently across a wide range of event types — from premium live events and large-scale fan activations to retail partnerships and live Memorabilia Breaks — while maintaining strong relationships with athletes, agents, and internal stakeholders across the Fanatics ecosystem.

how you will make an impact:

– Serve as the primary operational lead on-site, managing appearance flow, athlete logistics, fan engagement, and real-time issue resolution
– Lead execution of high-profile activations including WWE Premium Live Events, Fanatics Fest, hobby store events, and large brick-and-mortar retail partnerships (e.g., Dick’s Sporting Goods)
– Coordinate scheduling and logistics for contractual athlete live Memorabilia Breaks
– Ensure 100% fulfillment of contracted appearance obligations per agreement requirements, resolving gaps proactively before event day
– Maintain a sub-3% contract rework/error rate by ensuring all appearance assets and deliverables are prepared accurately and on time
– Serve as the primary relationship contact for an assigned portfolio of professional athletes and their representatives across appearance obligations
– Serve as the primary Athlete Relations point of contact for cross-functional partners on assigned appearances and events
– Identify risks to relationship health and surface concerns proactively to management
– Support and guide Associates during appearance preparation and on-site execution
– Provide real-time coaching and feedback to Associates during events
– Contribute to consistent application of appearance standards, SLAs, and operational best practices across the team
– Identify process improvement opportunities and share recommendations with management
– Track and report of P&L’s to Director post event

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what you bring to the team:

– 3+ years of experience in athlete/talent appearances
– Bachelor’s Degree preferred
– Strong sports industry knowledge, including familiarity with professional athlete and agent ecosystems across major leagues
– Demonstrated experience managing athlete or client relationships with a high degree of professionalism
– Proven ability to operate independently in fast-paced, time-sensitive, and high-visibility environments
– Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage confidently with athletes, agents, fans, and executives
– High level of organization with the ability to manage multiple events and priorities simultaneously
– Ability to work well under pressure, including short lead-time coordination driven by market events
– Nights, weekends, and travel may be required for position.
– Proficient with Microsoft Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
– Superior communication skills on various levels. Must have articulate speech, proper business writing skills and ability to listen to clients and quickly address any concerns.
– High level of organization with the ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously
– Work well under pressure. This industry is often driven by hot market events which require short lead-time negotiation and coordination to deliver finished product during the critical time periods.
– Sports knowledge a must

At Fanatics, we value transparency and honesty. If you don’t meet every single requirement, that’s okay – we still want to hear from you! We believe in the power of diverse experiences and talents. If you’re excited about the role and confident that you can contribute, don’t hesitate to apply. We’re genuinely interested in how your unique skills and perspective can help us build something amazing together.

Where You’ll Work and What’s required:

– Ability for nights, weekends, and travel
– The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
– Usual office environment with frequent sitting, walking, and standing, and occasional climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and balancing. Frequent use of eye, hand, and finger coordination enabling the use of office machinery. Oral and auditory capacity enabling interpersonal communication as well as communication through automated devices such as the telephone.
– Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds
– Must be able to stand 8 to 12 hours per day if attending signings or events
– May be expected to walk up to several miles a day at off-site events

What’s in it for you:
– Culture: Join a team where you’re surrounded by top-tier talent, driven by a shared passion to relentlessly enhance the fan experience. With a focus on collaboration, support, and continuous development, you’ll be empowered to help shape a our culture that celebrates both individual and team successes.
– Benefits: We provide a wide range of health, financial, legal, and development assistance, including wellness programs with fitness and weight management partners, paid maternity paternity leave, and infertility treatment. Additionally, we offer flexible time off to help you recharge, along with a competitive 401k plan to support your financial future. At Fanatics, we’re dedicated to supporting you in all aspects of work and life.