Sr Manager, Branded Apparel & Merchandise

600 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403, USA
Full-time
Sub-Department: Marketing Operations
Department: Marketing
Compensation: USD 135,000 - USD 155,000 - yearly

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands—Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Manager, Branded Apparel and Merchandise will lead the evolution of Jack Link’s wearable merchandise into a strategic brand platform—where merch is marketing. This role requires deep passion for lifestyle brands, apparel, and consumer culture, and a track record of making branded products feel wanted, not promotional.

This role will own the end‑to‑end strategy, development, and execution of Jack Link’s wearables business, including limited‑time drops, ecommerce, pop‑up retail experiences, licensing partnerships, and internal team gear. The Sr. Manager will build culturally relevant assortments that drive buzz, brand affinity, and commercial performance, while operating with a test‑and‑learn mindset and disciplined financial management.

This is a highly cross‑functional role that sits at the intersection of brand, product, commerce, and culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lifestyle Brand Strategy & Vision

Own and scale Jack Link’s Wearables & Merch strategy, positioning it as a brand‑building, revenue‑generating platform.
Develop 1–3 year strategic roadmaps that integrate brand, marketing, sales, and retail priorities.
Identify where Jack Link’s can authentically win as a lifestyle brand, across outdoor, workwear-inspired, team, fan, and cultural communities.
Lead limited-time drops, evergreen assortments, and collaboration strategies that drive desirability, credibility, and long-term brand equity.

Product, Merchandising & Creative Leadership

Lead seasonal and drop-based assortment planning with a retail-ready mindset (fit, quality, materials, price architecture, margin, and scalability).
Partner closely with creative and social teams to deliver product that is design-forward, culturally resonant, and commercially viable.
Translate brand positioning into wearable product stories consumers instantly understand and want to buy or wear.

Procurement, Sourcing & Vendor Management

Own sourcing and procurement strategy for wearables and branded merchandise.
Identify, onboard, and manage best-in-class manufacturers and vendors across apparel, accessories, and specialty categories.
Lead vendor negotiations, costing models, MOQs, lead times, and quality standards.
Balance cost, quality, speed-to-market, and brand integrity across all production decisions.
Build long-term vendor partnerships while maintaining flexibility for drops, pilots, and test-and-learn initiatives.

Retail & Distribution Leadership

Develop and execute strategies to expand retail distribution for Jack Link’s branded wearables, both existing and new-to-brand partners.
Lead product readiness for retail, including pricing architecture, packaging, assortment rationalization, and presentation.
Leverage retailer relationships and insights to inform product design, exclusives, and launch strategies.
Support sales conversations with product storytelling, retail decks, and line-building expertise.

Go-To-Market, Drops & Experiences

Lead planning and execution of:
Quarterly and seasonal merch drops
Ecommerce launches (Shopify and marketplace considerations)
Retail and pop‑up shopping experiences
Influencer and brand‑ambassador kits
Internal team‑member gear programs
Ensure wearables are fully integrated into campaigns, retail programs, and brand moments, not treated as afterthoughts.

Financial Ownership & Operations

Own the wearables P&L, including forecasting, margin management, inventory planning, and pricing strategy.
Optimize supply chain efficiency across sourcing, production, fulfillment, and warehousing.
Balance cost, quality, speed, and creativity to deliver best value and profitability.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is an office setting with varying degrees of temperature and noise levels. The vast amount of work is conducted in a climate-controlled office. Travel may be required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an Team Member to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or more up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.).
8 + years of experience in branded apparel, accessories, lifestyle merchandising, or consumer product
management.
Demonstrated passion for building lifestyle brands through product, with tangible examples of success.
Strong procurement and sourcing experience, including direct management of vendors and factories.
Proven experience launching and scaling branded product lines into retail distribution.
Deep understanding of costing, margins, production timelines, and quality control.
Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills.
Experience working with national or specialty retailers on branded lifestyle product preferred.
Background in apparel, outdoor, workwear, food-adjacent lifestyle, or culture-forward consumer brands preferred.
Licensing, collaboration, or co-branded product experience preferred.
DTC and Shopify experience alongside wholesale/retail models.

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is $135,000 - $155,000 (Annually). Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link’s provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Jack Link’s provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY:

Jack Link’s is a participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines

Jack Links

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