About The Role & Team
This role will collaborate with the Senior Product Design and Development Manager/Product Design and Development Director, Softlines to lead the product design and development of all products within relevant category for the region/market.
This role is a Fixed-Term Contract to cover Parental Leave for 12 months, and will require you to be onsite 4 days a week.
What You Will You Do
* Working in collaboration with the senior PD manager and our Partner licensing team to ideate drive and form company wide product campaign creative and development.
* Following through from ideation to final product approval, liaising with multiple stakeholders, internal and external including marketing, commercial, legal, and brand management with support from senior PD manager.
* Identify new product opportunities, produce first class conceptual designs and pitch to prospective/existing partners.
* Develop and manage the creative output from licensees ensuring product innovation, brand consistency and compelling execution within a commercial context.
* Establish and maintain relationships with retailers, internal collaborators/partners and global and international creative teams.
* Lead and develop team, ensuring consistent and appropriate creative direction and feedback is given on all product submissions.
* Lead and implement as required, the approval process from initiation to production in a timely manner.
* Ensure all licensee product submissions are routed through Disney’s Online Product Approval system (OPA) as per global product integrity guidelines.
* Ensure licensees are provided appropriate creative assets for product development, developing new assets as required against the specific needs of the category and inputting into style guide needs.
* Lead all design projects (e.g. product toolkits, product pitches, inspiration boards) within category, utilising internal and external resources as the need arises.
* Identify market product design trends, using them to drive creative strategy, identify new areas of business and establish design requirements.
* Develop and maintain an expert knowledge of Disney’s characters, films, properties, heritage and creative assets to assist in their usage on consumer products.
* As required, attend ‘inspiration’ trips to broaden understanding of the EMEA marketplace, seeking out ideas and new creative solutions to better understand the industry and drive innovation and creativity.
* Provide design and trend direction, ideation sessions, inspiration & feedback to licensees on both 2D application and 3D product submissions to drive product quality.
Required Qualifications & Skills
* Ability to communicate a clear design brief that meet all criteria.
* Ability to communicate design ideas using CAD drawing, computer techniques and/or third party design resources.
* Excellent design and conceptual skills as demonstrated in portfolio.
* Understanding of fabric, colour and product design.
* Shown experience of crafting prototypes or models.
* Advanced knowledge of Mac OSX, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Office.
* Excellent organisational skills and ability to handle and build effective relationships with team members at all levels.
* Exhibits ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness.
* Cultural sensitivity and an understanding of local markets across EMEA.
Preferred Qualifications
* Degree educated in related field (product design, etc.) and/or equivalent experience in lifestyle product company.
* Proven commercial design experience related to relevant category, essential, with the ability to brief and manage external/internal designers and/or agencies.
* Previous experience managing and developing the performance of a product development team, essential.
* Experience within a similar role within a consumer products commercialisation environment.
* Proven experience of building effective relationships, leading and managing change and collaboration across departments.
The Perks
* 25 days annual leave.
* Private medical insurance & dental care.
* Free Park Entry: the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free.
* Disney Discounts: entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing.
* Excellent parental and guardian leave.
* Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.
The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
#J-18808-Ljbffr