Assistant Manager, Toys & Hardlines UK & IE

JOB DESCRIPTION Armed with a positive attitude and a growth mindset, the Assistant Category Manager will have the opportunity to join the Toys, Hardlines & Publishing UK & Ireland Team within the Universal, Products & Experiences (UP&E) group. As part of UP&E, the Assistant Category Manager will support the Toys, Hardlines & Publishing business to deliver the agreed long-term strategy and deliver a sustainable business that achieves the Company’s annual revenue targets. Specifically, the Assistant Category Manager, will work closely with the Hardlines Director UK & Ireland and the wider UK retail and category team to manage a portfolio of partners and categories across the Toys, Hardlines & Publishing portfolio, and work closely to support the management of key local Licensees. The role will also support the day-to-day operations, such as (but not limited to) contract management, financial forecasting, create and maintain documents to manage Licensees, products and territory rights, as well as ensuring we support retail teams and licensees at key sell-in stages of the year and events. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Licensee Management Manage a portfolio of licensees across Toys, Hardlines and Publishing. Support HLD with management of Licensee base, forecast processes, marketing approvals & contract management. Develop great relationships and drive efficient communications with Licensees to ensure alignment of joint business strategies, to convey regular updates on franchise performance and to pitch new properties. Proactively create informative documents to enable this. Category Management Support HLD & team with ongoing analysis & initiatives that facilitate growth Lead day-to-day relationships with category stakeholders including Licensees, internal Category and Country teams with processes & documents where required Support in facilitating product development, enhancing effective communications within the Creative Team and communicate with Licensees to maintain and instruct critical paths & timings for product ranges and launches Critically evaluate the Licensee base to ensure we have the right amount of quality partners by category and identify white space within the UK and Ireland. Retail Development Collaborate with UK Franchise, Retail and Marketing (FRM) teams to optimise existing licensees at strategic retail channels, whilst also identifying & developing new product opportunities to grow UP&E market share Develop relationships with broader licensee retail and marketing teams to drive the joint execution of the Toys, Publishing & Hardlines strategies. Undertake ad hoc store visits, insight reports, remain vigilant of trends and UK and Ireland nuances to inform the evolution of new product development. Finance & Business Operations Work with the HLD on business operations including contract management for new and existing Licensees, the critical path and functions required for contract renewals and extensions in company systems (CRM and RSG), from Licensee negotiations where relevant, Deal Memo creation to contract execution in line with the company protocol. Obtain and manage quarterly sales projections from Licensees targeting accuracy in the forecasting process, contribute to quarterly forecast presentations, flagging insights to support changes to the annual plan. Franchise Strategy Support Ensure the Licensee product and category strategies align with, and support the UP&E franchise vision, ensuring products are refreshed and true to franchise characters. Identify category and audience gaps by franchise, developing products to continually drive consumer engagement with Universal content and characters Work with Licensees and Franchise teams to drive the marketing and visibility of UP&E product ranges where appropriate Relationship Building – EMEA & International Teams Ensure positive communication with internal stakeholders including Legal, Finance, Product Development, Promotions, Franchise & Retail teams to maximize synergy and a value-driven company culture Continual fluid communication with UK team, EMEA Category teams, sharing and seeking relevant information Live, breathe and amplify the great energy of the teams Operational Duties Become operationally excellent with CRM (Sales Force) Manage marketing submissions Manage Licensee documents Co-ordinate attendance for key events e.g. UK Showcase, BLE, Nuremberg Toy Fair Helping to organise UK retail alignment meetings with key partners Ensure timely and accurate forecasting documents