Category Manager – Essential Accessories

Job Summary

The Category Manager – Essential Collectibles is responsible for driving innovation, lifecycle management, and strategic growth within Ultra PRO's proprietary sports and collectible accessories portfolio. This role emphasizes new product development, market insight, and category ownership over traditional project management. By collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing, Sourcing, and Creative teams, the Category Manager will identify opportunities, develop product concepts, and guide launches that resonate with both everyday collectors and long-term hobbyist investors. The position also ensures ongoing portfolio health through post-launch analysis, inventory management, and end-of-life planning.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Category & Product Strategy

• Serve as the category lead for Sports and Essential Collectibles, defining short- and long-term roadmaps for proprietary products.
• Conduct industry research, competitive analysis, and trend monitoring to identify gaps, opportunities, and emerging collector needs.
• Generate and pitch new product concepts, presenting line plans and strategic proposals to the Sr. Director of Product and Executive team.
• Partner with Marketing to develop positioning and go-to-market strategies tailored to collector audiences.
• Collaborate with Sales to support retailer pitches and ensure product concepts align with account opportunities.

Lifecycle & Performance Management

• Review and analyze sales performance, consumer response, and retailer feedback to inform portfolio decisions.
• Conduct post-mortem reports for key launches, identifying successes, challenges, and opportunities for iteration.
• Recommend reorder, refresh, or discontinuation strategies based on inventory health and market traction.
• Monitor competitor pricing and adjust strategies to maintain market competitiveness.
• Partner with Operations and Sales Planning to ensure strong in-stock positions for successful products.
• Drive end-of-life transitions, ensuring smooth sell-through and minimizing excess inventory.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the key point of contact for Sports and Essential Collectibles across Product, Sales, and Marketing teams.
• Align sourcing and design efforts with category goals, ensuring products deliver both collector value and margin performance.
• Collaborate with Sales to prepare product presentations for key accounts, reinforcing category strategy with data and insights.

Additional Responsibilities

• Maintain deep knowledge of collector communities, market trends, and evolving consumer needs.
• Execute special projects as assigned by senior management.

Competencies / Personal Characteristics

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect market insight to product opportunity.
• Excellent relationship-building skills across internal teams, retailers, and industry contacts.
• Highly organized, able to manage multiple product lines while balancing strategic and tactical priorities.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret sales data and market feedback.
• Effective communicator, confident in presenting to executives, licensors, and key accounts.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for collectibles and the hobbyist community.

Education/Experience Requisites

• 5–7 years of experience in Product Management, Category Management, or New Product Development for consumer goods.
• Experience in collectibles, sports memorabilia, or hobby gaming industries strongly preferred.
• Background in consumer products, manufacturing, or foreign sourcing a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Wrike, ERP, and B2B systems.
• Travel as needed for trade shows, retailer meetings, or industry research (3–6 trips/year, domestic and international), with flexibility to work across time zones as needed.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90, $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• AD&D insurance
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person