In-Game Merchandising Specialist

Nexon America Inc

$75K — $95K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3+ years experience in Fashion Buying/Merchandising or Trend Forecasting, ideally in gaming
  • Expert proficiency in creating high-quality mood boards to convey visual concepts
  • Immersed in online culture to identify emerging visual trends
  • Proficient in analyzing previous cosmetic sales data for trend identification
  • Familiar with anime visual language and its intersection with Western fashion

Responsibilities

  • Forecast emerging trends and create strategic recommendations
  • Curate and pitch cosmetic content for rotation and new additions in the Cash Shop
  • Analyze past cosmetic performance to gauge player preferences
  • Monitor community input to gauge player interest in specific items
  • Guide visual direction for player-facing Cash Shop elements

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and dependents
  • Company contributions to health savings accounts with high-deductible plans
  • Paid life, AD&D, and disability benefits
  • 401(k) savings plan with company matching
  • Flexible spending accounts and pet insurance
  • Monthly wellness credits and access to wellness activities
  • Paid time off, sick days, and company holidays
Full Job Description
Job Description

Summary of Position

As the In-Game Merchandising Specialist for Global MapleStory, you will be the primary trendsetter/influencer for our Western player base. Your mission is to curate and suggest cosmetic content-including NX outfits, hair/face styles, and pets-that resonates with North American and European fashion trends. You will translate "Real-World" Western aesthetics (Streetwear, Y2K, Cottagecore, Anime, etc.) into MapleStory, ensuring our monetization strategy feels culturally relevant and exciting to players.

We are currently working in the office 2-3x a week in a hybrid work model.

Job Responsibilities
  • Forecast emerging trends and translate insights into strategic recommendation decks: Monitor US/Western fashion platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) and streetwear culture to identify upcoming aesthetic trends suitable for Global MapleStory. Creating and maintaining recommendation decks, seasonal aesthetic briefs, and cosmetic reference packages for art teams. Provide written and visual feedback on a regular basis (weekly to bi-weekly) on cosmetic concepts prior to production and release.
  • Product Curation: Suggest and pitch "Surprise Style Box" (SSB) rotations and permanent Cash Shop additions based on seasonality and Western-specific holidays.
  • Sales Analysis: Analyze performance data of previous cosmetic launches to identify which themes/styles (e.g., edgy/dark vs. cute/pastel) drive the highest engagement and revenue.
  • Community Pulse: Actively monitor community hubs (Reddit, Discord, Twitter) to understand player wishlists for legacy items or specific style categories.
  • Guide the direction of Cash Shop Visuals that are player facing
  • Other duties as assigned

Work Experience
  • 3+ years in Fashion Buying/Merchandising, or Trend Forecasting, preferably in Gaming
  • Expert proficiency in creating high-quality Mood Boards (Pinterest, PureRef, Milanote) to communicate visual direction to artists.
  • You are deeply immersed in online culture. You consume content on TikTok, Instagram, ArtStation, and Reddit to spot visual trends as they are forming, not after they have peaked.
  • Proficient in analyzing sales data from previous cosmetics and identifying aesthetic patterns (e.g., "Our players buy x item for this appeal versus other items").

Education, Professional Training, Technical Training or Certification
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is preferred

Knowledge/Skills
  • Strong knowledge and understanding of anime visual language and how it intersects with Western fashion trends
  • Knowledge of live and online game player cosmetic and other trends
  • Previous MapleStory play experience is preferred
  • Able to look at concept art and know if it looks too generic or feels outdated
  • Strategic thinking, problem solving ability
  • Passionate about games and player experiences
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Exceptional project and time management
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Proficient in MS Office

Management has the right to add or change duties and job requirements at any time.

Nexon's Benefits and Perks

We offer medical, dental and vision plans for you, your spouse or domestic partner and your children. Employees who enroll in the high deductible health plan receive an annual employer contribution to a health savings account and company paid hospital indemnity benefits. We also provide company paid life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability benefits as well as access to voluntary life and AD&D for yourself and your dependents, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) savings plan with a company match, and pet insurance. Nexies are encouraged to take advantage of our monthly wellness credit, participate in lunchtime yoga, and enroll in language classes. We host bi-monthly catered lunches, monthly happy hours, and maintain a well-stocked snack bar. To help you maintain a good work life balance, we offer paid time off, sick days, company holidays, and a year-end break.

Compensation Description for Pay Transparency (annually)

The base salary range for this position in El Segundo, CA is $75,000 - $95,000 annually.

Our salary ranges are determined by market data based on position and level. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum salaries for that position. An individual's pay is determined by factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's qualifications, skills, experiences, relevant education or training, and location.

Base pay is one part of the Total Rewards package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work. This role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, however the salary range listed in this job posting reflects the base salary only.

Beware of Recruitment Scams

We have been made aware of fraudulent recruitment activities by individuals falsely claiming to represent Nexon America. Our recruiters will only contact you from official company email addresses ending in [redacted].com and will follow a formal interview process. We will never request for payment or personal financial information such as photos of government-issued identification during the recruitment process or offer a job without a formal interview process. If you receive suspicious email, we advise you to mark the email as junk or spam, so your email provider will block future messages from the sender.

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