Festival Merchandise Program Manager

This is a Full Time Job

Festival Manager Merchandise Program - Careers At Sundance Institute

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Festival Manager, Merchandise Program is charged with all aspects of merch line development and implementation for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. This includes developing operational plans and managing program implementation to meet revenue goals and ensure a high level of support is provided to each customer, whether they engage with our merchandise at our seasonally operated brick and mortar retail stores, pop up locations, or through the web store. This position will also oversee a team of seasonal employees to support implementation during the Festival.

Working under the Director, Marketing, the Manager also collaborates closely with colleagues across the Marketing Department and outside vendors to identify and build the Festival merchandise line.

This temporary position works full time (40 hours per week) from Wednesday, August 13, 2025 through Friday, February 13, 2026 and must be based within a commutable distance to our Park City, UT office. While much of the day-to-day work may be performed remotely leading up to the Festival, this position will need to work onsite at key points throughout the duration of employment. Extended hours, including evenings and weekends will be required at key points to meet deadlines and respond to on-call needs as assigned.

Top priorities include but are not limited to?
• Partnering with colleagues across the Marketing Department to lead development of the merchandise line for the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, including working with the Creative team on design.
• Collaborating with Marketing colleagues to update our online store with new inventory details, photos, and prices.
• Establishing and building relationships with vendors, conducting timely and effective communication to ensure deadlines and inventory numbers are clearly communicated and met.
• Preparing and routing Festival contracts for approval, issuing approved contracts to vendors, and processing their invoices.
• Researching and contracting with mobile retail concept vendors, overseeing delivery and installation at the Festival, determining pop-up locations, and working with internal colleagues and local government on permitting as needed.
• Working closely with the fulfillment house to make sure online orders are filled properly and troubleshoot returns.
• Overseeing inventory, including planning inventory amounts using SFF25 sales as a benchmark, making all purchases with vendors, tracking deliveries and creating strategies to increase sales and minimize excess inventory.
• Ensuring the point of sales system is updated with accurate information including inventory, prices, and revenue.
• Updating the program's operational and logistical plans to reflect organizational changes, merchandise policies, and procedures; training stakeholders and seasonal employees on policies and fielding questions as needed.
• Managing the merchandise operating and in-kind budget, including completing monthly tracking, and processing invoices.
• Managing timelines and deadlines related to the merchandise program across the Institute, facilitating meetings and preparing merchandise reports for distribution to internal stakeholders and consultants.
• Planning, designing, and overseeing the layout and build of temporary stores across the Festival.
• Conducting onsite assessment of fixtures and equipment in Park City prior to the Festival to determine potential usage and managing the replacement of worn fixtures as needed.
• Conducting daily walk throughs of stores and the warehouse to ensure procedures are adhered to during the Festival and troubleshooting issues as they arise.
• Creating and managing the schedule for merchandise stores and pop-ups during the Festival.
• Managing a team of seasonal employees, including selecting and hiring qualified individuals, training and onboarding staff, delegating appropriate and meaningful work while providing direction, feedback, and support to ensure they understand responsibilities and are effective in their roles.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:
• 3 years experience in retail store management or branded merchandising including inventory planning or tracking.
• Strong leadership skills including demonstrated experience managing employees.
• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills required to work effectively with a wide variety of people.
• Working knowledge of databases, point of sales (POS) systems, and proficiency with Google Products.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and ability to successfully pass a MVR background check.
• Experience with store design and marketing preferred.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

You will be successful in this role if you...
• Oversee merch line development and implementation for the Sundance Film Festival to drive revenue.
• Ensure accuracy in tracking inventory, including ensuring on-time purchase orders, deliveries, payments, and distribution plans.
• Develop ways to determine and ensure customer satisfaction and sales across all channels.
• Monitor operational expenses efficiency, including budget adherence, invoice processing, and resource utilization.

In addition to a weekly pay of $1,069.62, this position* is eligible for benefits & perks, highlights include:
• Paid sick leave and Institute holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Employee Wellness Initiatives
• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)

*Location will be taken into consideration when making the final offer.

**This role was posted on July 28, 2025 and will be accepted for at least one week