Director, Publishing

About the role

The Director of Publishing will oversee the go-to-market execution, set lifecycle management, and player-facing release strategy for Fanatics TCG's game portfolio. Reporting to the VP of Publishing, this role works closely with game design, product, commercial, and marketing teams to ensure timely, strategic launches.

Responsibilities

• Drive the release planning and set lifecycle management for Fanatics TCG's game portfolio
• Define and manage the go-to-market calendar for each release, coordinating across game design, production, marketing, and commercial teams
• Develop the player communication strategy: product previews, announcement timing, spoiler season management, and ongoing release-window content strategy
• Work with organized play, retail, and product teams to ensure publishing plans align with event schedules, store support programs, and inventory planning
• Act as the publishing function's primary cross-functional integrator - ensuring all teams know their roles and responsibilities
• Build and maintain the publishing operations infrastructure: launch checklists, project management frameworks, retrospective processes, and documentation standards
• Track and report on key publishing health metrics including sell-through rates, product sentiment, and release timing accuracy, and use the data to continuously improve
• Represent the publishing function with commercial, retail, and external partners as needed

Qualifications & Experience

• 8–12+ years in publishing, product operations, or go-to-market roles within TCG, tabletop games, gaming, or adjacent hobby categories
• Direct experience managing release planning or set lifecycle management for a trading card game or complex physical product line
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional launch processes across many stakeholders and workstreams simultaneously
• Strong commercial instincts: understanding how publishing decisions affect sell-through, channel relationships, and player trust
• Experience working cross-functionally with game design, marketing, retail, and operations teams
• Comfort operating in ambiguity, defining programs before full structure exists, and building repeatability into everything you do

Preferred Experience

• Senior publishing leadership experience inside a major TCG publisher
• Familiarity with direct-to-consumer, digital-physical hybrid, or subscription product ecosystems
• Experience working with licensing, IP partnerships, or entertainment franchise ecosystems
• Passion for trading card games and genuine engagement with the player and collector community

Location

All employees of Fanatics TCG are expected to be onsite in our Seattle office five days per week.