9530 - Department Manager

About LidsU and The COOP

Lids Sports Group brings sports, fashion, culture, and collegiate pride together through licensed products and memorable retail experiences. LidsU extends that expertise into campus and university retail, pairing enterprise retail capabilities with locally relevant assortments, service, and community engagement.

This position supports The COOP retail experience serving the Harvard and MIT communities, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, members, visitors, and fans. Team members are expected to respect The COOP's heritage and brand while helping create a consistent, modern, and locally relevant experience across its Harvard and MIT stores.

Position Summary

Own the performance and daily execution of one or more store departments or designated operating functions. The Department Manager combines category expertise, team direction, merchandising, inventory management, customer service, and Manager-on-Duty responsibility.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Department Ownership

• Maintain an actionable plan for assigned categories, including sales, inventory, replenishment, merchandising, promotions, markdowns, and seasonal transitions.
• Use knowledge of the assigned Harvard or MIT store community to recommend relevant products, services, and local opportunities.
• Partner with centralized merchants and category partners while communicating store-level demand, performance, and customer feedback.

Customer & Merchandising

• Maintain an organized, well-stocked, accurately priced, and visually compelling department.
• Provide informed product guidance and ensure the team can serve customers confidently.
• Support campus events, academic milestones, product launches, and high-volume periods related to the assigned category.

Leadership & Operations

• Direct daily work, coach team members, and follow up on execution.
• Act as Manager-on-Duty as assigned and maintain working knowledge across store departments.
• Support transactions, cash controls, receiving, inventory counts, loss prevention, safety, and opening or closing routines.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 2+ years of retail, buying, merchandising, or related experience preferred.
• Previous leadership or keyholder experience preferred.
• Strong customer service, organization, merchandising, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and peak academic periods.

Physical Demands and Requirements

• Ability to remain standing and move throughout the store for extended periods.
• Ability to frequently communicate with customers, team members, and business partners.
• Ability to operate point-of-sale, inventory, and other retail technology systems.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move merchandise and supplies up to 50 pounds and use ladders safely.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Information

Employment Requirements

Candidates must possess the experience, skills, physical abilities, and qualifications, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform the essential duties of the role and must be able to meet all applicable employment standards. Being legally authorized to work in the United States is a pre-condition of employment for this position. Current or future employment-based visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Notice to Applicants

In connection with your application, we collect information that identifies, reasonably relates to, or describes you ("Personal Information"). The categories of Personal Information we collect include your name, email address, mailing address, other contact information, employment history, and educational history. We collect and use this information for human resources and business management purposes, including identifying and evaluating candidates for employment or future contract opportunities, and maintaining recruiting and hiring records. Upon a conditional job offer, we may require additional Personal Information for business purposes and may conduct background checks as permitted by law. Where required by applicable law, including the Philadelphia Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance, any criminal history information will be evaluated using an individualized assessment that considers the nature of the offense, the time that has passed, and its relevance to the duties of the position. Additional information collected may include government-issued identification numbers, work authorization, emergency contact information, criminal record information, and demographic data used for analytics and compliance.

Need Accessibility Assistance?

Applicants who require accessibility assistance to submit an employment application may email hr@lids.com. A member of our Talent team will respond as soon as reasonably possible. This email address is only for individuals seeking reasonable accommodation when applying for a career at Lids.