Brand Development Manager

Description: "Seeking a professional and detail-oriented Manager, Retail Development to support Consumer Products (CP) organization based at our global headquarters in El Segundo, CA. This individual will be responsible for pitching, developing and executing consumer products programs at top U.S. retail accounts. This role manages relationships with external retail buyers and works cross-functionally with internal partners across Franchise, CP Creative, Sales, Retail Marketing and Brand Marketing to drive company growth of CP and cross-category programs at retail. What Your Impact Will Be: · Contributes to building and driving U.S. retail strategies for owned franchises across assigned retail accounts and all non-toy, licensed categories · Develops brand pitches, including Entertainment pitches, and comfortably delivers presentations to retail accounts · Leads retail marketing/media campaign coordination for respective accounts with media agency and internal partners · Cultivates and fosters strong working relationships with external teams (e.g.; retail buyers, marketing managers, and key agencies/suppliers) to ensure execution of CP programs · Collaborates with CP category leads, licensees, and Franchise team to troubleshoot licensee challenges in securing retail placement, including providing brand updates to licensees and outreach to buyers on licensees’ behalf · Proactively disseminates retail updates and program opportunities to Franchise, CP and Licensees · Drives collaboration with commercial sales business units to coordinate cross-category (CP and Toy) brand pitch presentations, including participation in Joint Business planning · Upholds knowledge of respective retailers’ corporate and buying level strategies to identify business opportunities, including “white space” areas, and develop solutions using owned franchises · Builds Financial budget recommendation for respective accounts’ retail programs to drive sales growth and maximize return in investment, including tracking and reconciliation · Studies and incorporates learnings of retail trends and consumer shopping habits to stay at the forefront of industry trends · Travel required (approximately 10%) Qualifications What We’re Looking For: · Minimum of 5 years of experience in Retail Development, Franchise Development, Consumer Products, or at top U.S. retail accounts. · Experience in developing cross-category merchandise entertainment programs and retail strategies at major accounts (e.g. Walmart, Target, Amazon) highly preferred. · Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to both internal stakeholders and external partners. · Strong presentation and analytical skills. · Strong organizational skills with strong attention to detail; capable of managing multiple projects and retail accounts simultaneously in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. · Collaborative team player with exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships across all levels of the organization, including senior leadership. · Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat. · Demonstrates a growth mindset by staying curious and continuously learning, embracing challenges, and improving self.