Branded Merchandise Manager

Branded Merchandise Manager | Job Description About Phase 3 Marketing & Communications:

Founded in 2001, Phase 3 is an integrated marketing services firm, simplifying the way brands connect with their customers. A commitment to ideation to execution means Phase 3 offers everything from creative, digital, marketing and public relations to small- and large-format digital and offset printing. We manage the picture of projects – start-to-finish, arm-in-arm – like no other partner. With locations across the eastern United States, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Nashville and Fairfield
- New Jersey, our reach and efficiencies enable our team to creatively and effectively solve clients’ biggest marketing challenges, together.

Phase 3 is recognized annually as a top 10 marketing services firm by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and as a top 15 marketing services firm by the Charlotte Business Journal and Nashville Business Journal. The company has been ranked among the flagship Printing Impressions 400 annually since 2011, and additional accolades include Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2015 Pacesetter Award, placement on the 2017 Inc.

5000 List of the fastest-growing private companies, and recognition as one of Charlotte’s Best Places to Work.

The Branded Merchandise Manager serves as a team coach, merchandising expert, and creative leader for custom branded merchandise opportunities. This role partners closely with sales, suppliers, and internal production resources to review opportunities, determine the right sourcing strategy, and guide the team toward thoughtful, innovative, and executable merchandise solutions.

This is a manager-level role focused on creative leadership, team development, supplier strategy, and escalated custom project support. The ideal candidate brings deep branded merchandise expertise, strong creative instincts, excellent sourcing judgment, and the ability to mentor team members while helping elevate the quality, originality, and win rate of custom merchandise proposals.

• Coach team members on creative branded merchandise solutions that align with client objectives, audience needs, budget, timing, and brand standards.
• Mentor a team of specialists by strengthening their sourcing approach, product knowledge, presentation quality, and confidence in consultative recommendations.
• Serve as a creative leader who helps the team push beyond standard product ideas and develop more strategic, memorable, and differentiated merchandise concepts.
• Provide practical guidance, feedback, and coaching during brief review, concept development, sourcing, and proposal preparation.
• Model strong collaboration, sound judgment, urgency, and solutions-oriented thinking for the broader merchandising team.

• Review incoming sales briefs to understand client goals, audience, brand requirements, budget, timeline, quantity, delivery needs, and desired experience.
• Determine the appropriate sourcing strategy for each opportunity, including supplier direction, product categories, custom development needs, packaging considerations, and risk factors.
• Guide team members on how to interpret briefs, ask the right clarifying questions, and develop strategic merchandise recommendations.
• Solve difficult sourcing challenges involving custom products, tight timelines, limited budgets, unusual quantities, complex branding requirements, or unique fulfillment needs.
• Ensure sourcing decisions support proposal quality, production feasibility, margin expectations, and client success.

• Lead the development of creative branded merchandise solutions that balance originality,…