Sr. Manager, Operations: Original Merchandise

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International manages the Pokémon property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

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• Job Title:
  
  Sr. Manager, Operations:
  Original Merchandise
• Job Summary:
  
  The Sr. Manager, Operations for Original Merchandise, is a senior leader responsible for the multi year vision, roadmap, and business outcomes of our Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) ecosystem. You will lead cross functional execution that improves speed, data quality, and decision making across design, development, sourcing, production, legal, and operations. As the operational leader for PLM, you’ll define the operating model, standardize workflows, drive adoption, and ensure the platform delivers measurable value to our merchandise portfolio.
• FLSA Classification (US Only):
  Exempt
• People Manager:
  Yes

• PLM Strategy and Ownership

  • Set the multi‑year PLM strategy and roadmap aligned to merchandising and operational priorities; balance platform health with value‑driving enhancements.
  • Define the PLM operating model (governance, roles, decision rights, intake/prioritization) across categories and regions.
  • Establish North‑Star KPIs (e.g., time‑to‑market, capacity, data quality, adoption, automation) and run a regular business review cadence.

• Process Excellence

  • Map and optimize end‑to‑end product workflows in PLM (spec/BOM, sample tracking, change control, approvals, compliance gates).
  • Eliminate bottlenecks and manual workarounds; codify best practices and reusable templates that scale.
  • Ensure customer/partner feedback loops are embedded to continuously improve product development velocity and quality.

• PLM Platform Ownership and Delivery

  • Own the backlog, prioritization, and release plan; lead discovery, requirements, UAT, and deployment for new capabilities.
  • Partner with IT to maintain reliability, performance, and integrations (ERP, PIM/MDM, CAD/Design, labeling/packaging, analytics).
  • Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and roadmap alignment; drive value realization from third‑party solutions.

• Data, Reporting and Governance

  • Define and enforce data standards (product hierarchy, attributes, validations, ownership) to ensure accurate, trusted product data.
  • Partner with analytics to deliver dashboards that reveal cycle times, bottlenecks, and value; use insights to guide prioritization.>

• People Leadership & Change Management

  • Lead and develop a high‑performing team (product owners, analysts, project/program managers).
  • Drive change management and adoption — readiness plans, training, enablement content, office hours, and feedback mechanisms.
  • Communicate clearly at all levels, from executive outcomes and trade‑offs to frontline how‑to guidance and release notes.

• Ten+ (10) years in merchandise/product operations, product development, business systems ownership.
• Three (3) – five (5) years leading teams (manager or manager‑of‑managers).
• Hands‑on ownership of a PLM platform (e.g., FlexPLM, Centric, Windchill, Oracle) including road mapping, configuration oversight, and release management.
• Proven record leading cross‑functional programs and influencing senior stakeholders; strong vendor and budget management.
• Demonstrated strength in process design, data governance, and analytics; turns insights into measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and decision‑making skills under ambiguity.
• Domain experience in consumer products, apparel, toys/licensing, or retail merchandise.
• Familiarity with Lean/Six Sigma/PDCA and modern product methods (Agile/SAFe, product discovery).
• Experience with PLM ERP/PIM/CAD integrations and change control/compliance frameworks.

Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between $140,902 - $187,475 per year. The full range is $140,902 - $253,782 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where…