Merchandising Manager Plush

At Disney Consumer Products, we inspire imagination around the world and are committed to creating happiness for families and fans by bringing captivating, inspiring, and inclusive products into their daily lives.  From toys to t-shirts, console games, books, and more, our team brings our beloved brands and franchises into the lives of families through products and experiences that can be found worldwide, such as the Disney Store e-commerce platform, Disney Parks, local and international retailers, and Disney Store locations around the world.

The Merchandising Manager will act as the strategist and producer of the global line for the Plush category, working with sourcing, planning, creative and product design to ensure the highest quality, consumer focused, trend right product lines across multiple channels of distribution (Disney Parks, The Disney Store, and flex business models) that build brand equity and meet financial targets.

This role reports to the Senior Manager, Brand Merchandising.

This is a Full Time role

What You Will Do:

• Executes the daily implementation of the product strategy for the Plush category

• Assists in the development of a consumer-focused product strategy that is commercially viable and delivers a consistent worldwide look and feel for brand/ category

• Manages the product strategy for a sub-category (ownership of smaller area of responsibility)

• Consumerist:  Consumer obsessed, constantly balancing the art and the science of merchandising to find opportunities, elevate brand and delight our consumer

• Relentlessly monitor the global competitive landscape and consumer zeitgeist to capture opportunity

• Champions products developed in collaboration with the design teams to capitalize on trends, anticipate consumer demand and drive product innovation in category

• Consolidates the product needs from all regions and channels to develop one product brief to design ensuring needs of all businesses are met

• Find commonality in consumer, customer and market trends to minimize duplication / cannibalization; identify areas to reduce complexity and increase productivity globally

• Establish perspective on what’s working and why to consistently improve product line

• Partners with Studio, Global Creative, and Marketing teams to bring our content and IP to life properly and with a consistent brand point of view across the globe

• Partners with Product Design and Sourcing to deliver seasonal product lines for vertical and wholesale business models that meet business objectives including sustainability goals

• Partners with 3rd Party Commercial teams around the world to develop and drive execution against franchise and product strategies

• Comprehensive knowledge about current trends and filter for brand relevance

• Understand and support the worldwide segmentation at right price/value from value to premium

• Execute against opportunities to leverage products, co-brands and collaborations globally

• Track development counts, adoption KPIs and COGs targets

LEADERSHIP / MANAGEMENT

• Category and brand ambassador to cross-functional teams showing up as a compelling, dynamic, and knowledgeable in all stages of go to market process and partner interactions where product is discussed

• Assist in building compelling stories to sell in and create solutions to drive brand vision and grow sales

• Actively participate in conversation and activities with sourcing to cost the line, run financial scenarios

• Actively participate in conversation with design to create a product line in all activities, key milestone meetings

• Communicates and collaborates with key commercialization partners

• Manages direct report(s) (if applicable) with immediate feedback on performance and weekly touch bases to review deliverables, regular development and coaching

• Champion our diversity and inclusion goals through right product and personal growth

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in Product Merchandising, ideally in the Toy / Plush industry

• Experience in building an omni-channel product line for a category or categories of business

• Experience working in highly matrixed and/or global product companies a plus

• Demonstrated ability to capitalize on market trends and consumer zeitgeist to maximize value creation throughout the trend cycle

• Demonstrated ability to create, leverage and scale innovation

• Demonstrated ability to be a brand steward and maintain brand and product integrity

• Strong working knowledge of the omni-channel marketplace globally

• Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution against a financial plan

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence a diverse audience including experience working with external partners and business owners to bring product and assortments to the market

• Successful experience working, and thriving, in a highly matrixed company structure

• Collaborative and effective communicator

• Strong Team Player – The ability to build & foster collaborative partnerships across functions & departments

Preferred education

• Associate’s degree

Our Benefits:

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits