GM - MERCHANDISE & ECOMMERCE

Regular Full Time

Remote Work From Home (within PT timezone - LA preferred)

Who We Are

AdHoc Studio is a diverse team of video game developers driven by a pursuit of excellence in storytelling. Our DNA is made up of former employees of Telltale Games, Night School Studio and Ubisoft having written and directed such games as Tales From the Borderlands, The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, and Minecraft: Story Mode. We draw inspiration from all forms of media and pride ourselves on our distinctive approach to interactive narrative in games. Our goal is to create resonant experiences that put the player in charge of the story, giving them agency where most games take it away. Our first original title Dispatch was released in 2025.

About the Role

We’re looking for a hands-on operator to take ownership of AdHoc’s merchandise and direct-to-consumer business.

This is not a traditional merchandising role and it is not a job for someone who wants to manage the work from a distance. We need someone who has actually done this before: sourcing products, managing samples and production, working with vendors and 3PLs, operating Shopify, standing up print-on-demand, managing launch calendars, chasing down problems, and making sure the customer ultimately gets something great.

The right person will become the center of the merch operation. When something is late, unclear, broken, or falling between teams, this person owns getting it resolved.

They will report directly to the CEO and work closely with Creative, Marketing, Customer Service, Finance, engineering resources, manufacturers, and logistics partners. Creative will continue to set a high bar for the product itself; this person will be responsible for making sure that product actually gets made and gets into customers’ hands at that same level of quality.

We are deliberately building the business incrementally. The immediate goal isn’t maximum scale. It’s to build an operation that works exceptionally well and can scale when much larger opportunities arrive. Quality is the top priority.

What You’ll Own

You will own the day-to-day operation of the merchandise business from concept through delivery. That includes:

• Building and Maintaining the master merchandise calendar and driving every initiative against it.

• Running the meetings, trackers, follow-ups, and communication required to keep projects moving.

• Sourcing manufacturers and vendors.

• Managing costing, quotes, MOQs, samples, revisions, purchase orders, production schedules, freight, and delivery.

• Partnering with Creative throughout development to ensure the finished product meets the intended quality bar.

• Operating and continuously improving our Shopify storefront.

• Building and operating our print-on-demand business.

• Coordinating inventory, warehousing, fulfillment, and 3PL operations.

• Working closely with Customer Service and treating the entire post-purchase experience as part of the product.

• Coordinating with Marketing on launch plans and ensuring the store and operation are actually ready when campaigns go live.

• Providing Finance with accurate and complete costing information.

What the First Year Looks Like

Our current plan is intentionally focused.

Over the next year, we expect to execute a limited number of merchandise drops, all designed to be manageable. Additional details to be provided during interview process.

Success means they run smoothly. The products arrive at the quality we expect. The site works. Inventory is where it is supposed to be. Customers know what they’re buying and when they’re getting it. Problems are caught early. The team knows what it is responsible for. Finance can understand whether we made money. And each launch makes the next one easier.

The larger goal is to use these releases to build the systems, vendor relationships, processes, and institutional knowledge necessary to support substantially larger merchandise programs as our franchises grow.

How We Want You to Operate

We’re looking for an owner.

You should be the kind of person who notices that something doesn’t make sense and keeps pulling the thread until it does.

You should be comfortable moving between strategy and extremely tactical work. On the same day, that might mean discussing the merchandise calendar with the CEO, negotiating a production issue with a manufacturer, reviewing samples with Creative, checking a fulfillment problem with the 3PL, and testing the Shopify checkout yourself.

You communicate constantly.

You don’t allow important information to live exclusively in someone’s head.

You don’t assume someone else has handled something because it technically falls within their function.

And you care deeply about what the customer experiences.

During the first year, you will remain closely informed on meaningful decisions and will retain oversight over product strategy and final budget approval. As the function matures and trust develops, we expect this role to operate with increasing independence and responsibility.

The Person We’re Looking For

The strongest candidate will have personally operated an e-commerce and physical-product business before.

We care more about demonstrated ability, judgment, intensity, curiosity, and ownership than pedigree.

You should have:

• Meaningful hands-on Shopify experience.

• Meaningful experience operating print-on-demand.

• Experience sourcing and producing physical products.

• Experience managing manufacturers, samples, production schedules, and logistics.

• Experience working with fulfillment partners or 3PLs.

• Enough commercial fluency to understand product costing, margin, inventory risk, and the economics of a merchandise launch.

• Strong project-management instincts.

• Extremely strong written and verbal communication.

• A demonstrated ability to learn areas you haven’t encountered before.

Experience in games, entertainment, fandom, collectibles, apparel, or licensed products is useful but not required. But a genuine love of video-games would be a significant plus.

Los Angeles is strongly preferred.

What We’re Not Looking For

We’re not looking for someone whose experience consists primarily of managing large teams of specialists.

We’re not looking for someone who believes sourcing is someone else’s job, logistics is someone else’s job, Shopify is someone else’s job, or customer service problems stop being their problem once the package leaves the warehouse.

This person needs to own the outcome.

Where the Role Can Go

The initial mandate is straightforward: build a great merchandise operation and run it.

If that goes well, the scope should expand with the business.

We expect this role to have the opportunity to grow into a Director or Head of Merchandise &

E-Commerce position as the size, complexity, and importance of the business increases.

Salary Range: $110,000-$160,000

When an offer is made, many factors are considered, such as your unique experience and skills, where you live, and what similar jobs pay.

What We Offer:

• Competitive Salary

• 401K

• Medical Insurance

• Dental and Vision Insurance

• Health FSA & Dependent Care FSA

• Flexible Working Schedule

• Flexible Paid Time Off

• Paid Holidays

• Paid Sick Leave

• Family Leave

• Disability Leave

• Employee Discounts

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law.