Product Design and Development Manager - Softlines (12-month FTC)

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 stake holders, 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
• We 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
• We 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
• Identify new product opportunities, produce first class conceptual designs and pitch to prospective/existing teams within Disney's Partnerships
• Establish and maintain relationships with our Partnerships, internal stakeholders/partners and global and international creative teams
• Manage and develop teams, ensuring consistent and appropriate creative direction and feedback is given on all product submissions

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.