General Manager Sports Business Unit
Crecera Brands is the driving force behind Sportsman’s Guide, Salt Strong, The Golfer’s World, Play Baseball and Play Softball, five of America’s leading retailers of outdoor gear, sporting goods and golf supplies. For nearly 50 years, our companies have been dedicated to helping our customers enjoy the fun, freedom, and traditions of the great outdoors. From hunting and fishing to playing ball and hitting the links, the companies of Crecera Brands deliver the gear you need to succeed. Our websites include sportsmansguide.com, tgw.com, saltstrong.com, playbaseball.com and playsoftball.com.
We are seeking a dynamic and commercially driven General Manager to lead and scale our direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce business across Crecera Brands golf, baseball, and softball, collectively our Sports business unit. Our websites include The Golfer’s World (tgw.com), playbaseball.com, and playsoftball.com. Our Sports GM owns profit and loss (P&L) for the business unit while driving growth through best-in-class digital marketing, merchandising, brand marketing and customer experience strategies.
The ideal candidate combines strong financial acumen with deep expertise in DTC marketing and performance-driven digital channels and has proven experience leading cross-functional teams in a fast-paced consumer brand environment.
Key Responsibilities
Business Leadership & P&L Ownership
- Own and manage full P&L responsibility, including revenue growth, gross margin, operating expenses, and profitability targets
- Develop and execute the overall DTC growth strategy, aligning with company objectives
- Identify and capitalize on new revenue streams, customer segments, and market opportunities within the sports categories
- Drive forecasting, budgeting, and financial planning processes
Digital Marketing Leadership
- Lead the strategy and execution of performance marketing channels including paid media (search, social, display), affiliate, email/SMS, and SEO
- Optimize customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and ROAS through data-driven decision-making
- Oversee customer lifecycle marketing, retention initiatives, and personalization strategies
- Stay current on trends in ecommerce, digital media, and marketing technology
Brand Marketing
- Define and maintain the visual brand identity, tone, and positioning across all consumer touchpoints.
- Design and execute multi-channel marketing campaigns to build awareness in the golf and baseball communities.
- Oversee production of high-quality digital assets, including video, photography, and copy for product launches.
- Build organic loyalty through grassroots initiatives, youth leagues, tournaments, and digital community spaces.
- Manage influencer relationships with professional athletes, coaches, creators, and regional brand ambassadors.
- Cohesively align brand messaging with paid acquisition efforts
Merchandising & Product Strategy
- Direct merchandising strategy including product assortment, pricing, promotions, and inventory optimization
- Partner with product, sourcing, and supply chain to ensure alignment between customer demand and inventory availability
- Utilize analytics to optimize conversion rates, average order value (AOV), and product performance
Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Management
- Lead and develop high-performing marketing and merchandising teams with direct reporting relationships
- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement
- Collaborate with operations, technology, finance, and customer experience teams to deliver a seamless end-to-end customer journey
Customer & Brand Experience
- Ensure a best-in-class digital customer experience across web and mobile platforms
- Oversee site merchandising, UX optimization, and conversion rate improvements
- Champion brand positioning while driving performance metrics
Location & Compensation
- This position is based at our corporate headquarters, located at The Offices at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The selected candidate must reside within the Greater Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
- The anticipated base salary range for this position is $225,000 to $325,000 annually, with final compensation determined by the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and overall fit for the role. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in our annual incentive bonus and long-term incentive programs.
- We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; a Health Savings Account (HSA); 401(k) plan with company matching contributions; optional healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts; an employee discount program; and a flexible paid time off (PTO) policy.
Qualifications
Required Experience
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in ecommerce or DTC businesses, with at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership position
- Proven track record of owning and managing a P&L at scale
- Deep expertise in digital/performance marketing (paid media, CRM, SEO, analytics)
- Experience leading merchandising and marketing teams in a consumer-facing business
- Strong familiarity with ecommerce platforms, analytics tools, and marketing technologies
Preferred Experience
- Experience in sporting goods, golf, baseball, softball, or adjacent enthusiast categories
- Background in high-growth or digitally native brands
- Experience scaling omnichannel or multi-brand ecommerce businesses
Core Competencies
- Strategic thinker with strong commercial and financial acumen
- Data-driven decision-maker with a bias for action
- Deep understanding of digital customer behavior and acquisition strategies
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and team-building skills
- Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a fast-paced environment
Success Metrics
- Revenue growth and profitability (P&L performance)
- Customer acquisition efficiency (CAC, ROAS)
- Conversion rate, AOV, and LTV improvements
- Inventory productivity and margin expansion
- Team engagement and organizational effectiveness
