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 the 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, utilizing 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 meets 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.
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