Senior Director of Merchandise & Product Branding (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework.

Division: PromiseBrands
Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed
Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week (Volunteer)
Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

About PromiseBrands

PromiseBrands is MAP's brand strategy, marketing, communications, audience engagement, creative services, social enterprise, and organizational identity division. The division is responsible for shaping how MAP's mission, products, stories, and experiences are presented to the public while ensuring consistency, quality, trust, and long-term brand growth.

About the Role

The Senior Director of Merchandise & Product Branding serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic branding, positioning, marketing, and growth of MAP's merchandise and consumer product portfolio. This role oversees how products are developed, branded, launched, marketed, experienced, and expanded across multiple audiences and channels. Working closely with the Senior Director of Social Enterprise & Consumer Products, PromiseStudios, PromisePages, PromiseLantern, PromiseVoice, and Executive Leadership, the Senior Director helps transform MAP's intellectual property, stories, characters, and creative assets into compelling consumer experiences. This leader ensures that every product reflects the quality, mission, values, and storytelling excellence of Mentor A Promise.

Responsibilities

• Product Branding Strategy
  • Develop and lead branding strategies for MAP's merchandise and consumer products
  • Establish positioning frameworks for product lines and collections
  • Create brand strategies that support audience growth and engagement
  • Ensure consistency across all merchandise and product experiences
  • Support long-term product portfolio growth and expansion
• Merchandise & Consumer Product Development
  • Collaborate with product, publishing, and creative teams on new product initiatives
  • Support development of books, toys, apparel, educational products, accessories, and future merchandise categories
  • Ensure products align with MAP's mission and brand standards
  • Help identify opportunities for new consumer experiences and offerings
  • Strengthen product storytelling and audience connection
• Product Launches & Go-to-Market Strategy
  • Lead branding and launch strategies for new products and collections
  • Develop product marketing plans and promotional initiatives
  • Support seasonal campaigns, fundraising merchandise, and special releases
  • Coordinate launch activities across marketing, communications, and creative teams
  • Ensure successful product introductions and audience engagement
• Franchise & Intellectual Property Branding
  • Partner with PromiseLantern and PromiseStudios on character-driven and story-based product initiatives
  • Support development of franchise branding frameworks
  • Strengthen connections between intellectual property and consumer products
  • Help expand brand ecosystems around MAP stories, books, and creative properties
  • Support licensing and brand extension opportunities
• Consumer Experience & Audience Engagement
  • Develop strategies that strengthen customer engagement and loyalty
  • Improve product experiences across digital and physical touchpoints
  • Monitor audience behavior and purchasing trends
  • Help build lasting relationships with supporters and customers
  • Strengthen emotional connections between products and mission impact
• Analytics & Market Insights
  • Monitor merchandise performance and product engagement
  • Analyze customer trends, purchasing behaviors, and market opportunities
  • Evaluate product launch performance
  • Develop recommendations for growth and optimization
  • Support data-informed branding decisions
• Cross-Divisional Leadership
  • Partner with PromiseBrands marketing leaders on campaigns and promotions
  • Collaborate with PromiseStudios, PromisePages, and PromiseVoice on storytelling initiatives
  • Support social enterprise growth efforts
  • Align product branding with organizational strategy and audience needs
  • Strengthen collaboration across MAP's creative ecosystem
• Leadership Responsibilities
  • Product Branding: Product positioning, brand strategy, product identity, consumer engagement
  • Merchandise Marketing: Product launches, campaign development, promotional initiatives, audience growth
  • Franchise & Licensing Branding: Character brands, story-world branding, licensing support, brand extensions
  • Consumer Experience: Customer engagement, product experiences, audience loyalty, brand interaction
  • Product Insights & Analytics: Product performance, market analysis, consumer trends, growth opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in brand management, consumer products, merchandise marketing, licensing, retail marketing, publishing, entertainment branding, product marketing, or related fields
• Strong understanding of product positioning and consumer engagement
• Experience developing brands across multiple products and audiences
• Strong strategic, creative, and analytical abilities
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Passion for mission-driven entrepreneurship and social impact

Why This Role Matters

Products are more than items people purchase. They are experiences. They are stories. They are extensions of a mission. The Senior Director of Merchandise & Product Branding helps ensure that every MAP product deepens audience connection, strengthens community engagement, and reinforces the organization's commitment to children and families experiencing housing instability. This role helps transform products into powerful tools for storytelling, sustainability, and impact.

Success Measures

• Merchandise and product portfolio growth
• Product launch performance
• Customer engagement and loyalty
• Brand consistency across product lines
• Consumer awareness and audience growth
• Franchise and intellectual property expansion
• Revenue contribution and social enterprise impact

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's mission, safeguarding standards, and organizational values
• Participate in leadership and strategic planning meetings

What You'll Gain

• Senior leadership experience overseeing product branding and merchandise strategy
• Opportunity to shape a growing nonprofit consumer products ecosystem
• Collaboration with creative, publishing, marketing, and executive leaders
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability