Senior Director of Merchandise & Product Branding (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Merchandise & Product Branding (Volunteer)

PromiseBrands | Merchandise Strategy, Product Branding & Consumer Experience

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseBrands

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Senior Leadership Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Chief of Brands

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

As MAP continues to expand its ecosystem of books, toys, educational products, apparel, media properties, and mission-driven merchandise, strong product branding and consumer engagement become increasingly important to supporting both impact and sustainability.

Every product represents an opportunity to tell a story, strengthen community, expand awareness, and generate resources that support children and families.

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.

Role Overview

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.

Key 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

The Senior Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Product Branding

Responsible for:

• Product positioning
• Brand strategy
• Product identity
• Consumer engagement

Merchandise Marketing

Responsible for:

• Product launches
• Campaign development
• Promotional initiatives
• Audience growth

Franchise & Licensing Branding

Responsible for:

• Character brands
• Story-world branding
• Licensing support
• Brand extensions

Consumer Experience

Responsible for:

• Customer engagement
• Product experiences
• Audience loyalty
• Brand interaction

Product Insights & Analytics

Responsible for:

• Product performance
• Market analysis
• Consumer trends
• Growth opportunities

Preferred 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

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume, portfolio (if applicable), and cover letter.

Please highlight experience involving product branding, consumer products, merchandising, licensing, publishing, retail marketing, brand strategy, product marketing, or audience engagement.

Help build products that inspire, engage, and expand opportunity for children and families through Mentor A Promise.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.