Director, Assistant Controller

Fanatics is expanding into the booming trading cards and collectibles business with a new model and vision for the hobby that will fundamentally change the experience for current and future collectors, leagues, and players across many sports.

With trading cards and collectibles being a significant pillar of Fanatics’ long-term plans to become the leading global digital sports platform, Fanatics Collectibles, a subsidiary of Fanatics, was launched in 2021 after securing long-term, exclusive rights to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards for several sports properties, including MLB, MLBPA, NBA, NBPA and NFLPA. Fanatics is the majority owner of Fanatics Collectibles, with leagues, players associations and investors owning the rest.

In January 2022, Fanatics Collectibles announced the acquisition of Topps, the preeminent licensed trading card brand that has serviced collectors, fans, and retailers for more than 70 years. The deal, which included both the Topps physical and digital divisions, established the iconic trading cards company as the cornerstone of Fanatics’ trading cards and collectibles business and jumpstarted its MLB and MLBPA rights to design, manufacture and distribute trading cards, which begin in 2022 versus the original joint start date of 2026. 

In February 2022 (with subsequent investments in December 2022 and January 2024), Fanatics Collectibles acquired GCP. GCP specializes in converting, finishing, collating and packaging services for sports trading cards and other collectibles.

Fanatics Collectibles is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Assistant Controller to join the Controllership team, reporting directly to the Fanatics Collectibles Controller.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Provide financial leadership by managing general accounting and financial reporting activities to ensure accurate and timely compliance with all internal & external reporting requirements for the Fanatics Live & Collect business.

This role will require a visionary leader who displays a passion for strengthening the team and fostering collaboration, learning and growth. To be successful in this job, you must be a forward looking, proactive leader with business experience in increasingly complex businesses, across geographies and business channels. The candidate must be an experienced, collaborative accounting professional with the background and interpersonal skills sufficient to function successfully in a growth-enabling and challenging position. He or she must have the ability to embrace and assume “ownership” of various processes and reports, implementing structure and enhancing maturity. Attention to detail, superior organizational and project management skills, and exceptional communication skills are important.

JOB FUNCTIONS

This position will provide technical accounting, financial reporting, operational accounting and business finance support for Fanatics Live & Collect; specific responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Support ongoing business acquisition and related integration activities including accounting policy, controls, financial closing and technical accounting support
• Oversee month-end close process, including general journal review, balance sheet account reconciliation review, and period over period flux analysis and commentary
• Lead cross-functional accounting and finance projects including systems implementations, policy development and operationalization of technical accounting and reporting matters
• Assist with technical accounting research and provide technical guidance in preparing transactional accounting and documenting memos, as needed
• Prepare ad hoc financial reporting requests, other analyses and special projects requested by management
• Lead various financial analyses to investigate financial results and understand impacts for communication to management
• Assist in preparing and developing the Collectibles business to scale-up and be SOX compliant based upon process improvements, sourcing and implementing the proper technology, and placing proper talent within key roles
• Assist with driving compliance with GAAP and implementation of new standards
• Maintain effective relationships with organizational leaders across holding company and shared-service controllership, tax, treasury, legal, FP&A functions, and a broad group of cross-functional business teams acting as the conduit to teams on emerging business issues impacting financial reporting priorities
• Guide other departments by researching and interpreting accounting policy; applying observations and recommendations to operational issues
• Coordinate and assist with requests from external auditors
• Assist with managing and developing an efficient, clean and successful audit