Product Development Manager

Company Description
Universal Pictures were the first of the modern Hollywood studios, and over their one hundred years, they have been responsible for some of the world's most memorable feature films. It is the home of the epic Jurassic World franchise, the beloved Minions, the unstoppable Fast & Furious franchise, and Dreamworks animation, as well as a rich portfolio of classic films such as E.T., JAWS and Dracula.
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
At Universal Brand Development EMEA, we are proud of our unique culture. We are inclusive, curious and creative; channeling a growth mindset in order to drive the commercial and develop our people. In order to achieve this culture, we live by our 3 values:

• Being Human Matters to Us
• Together We Can Achieve Anything
• We Always Keep Growing

Job Description
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Product Development Manager for Fashion and Living to join the Creative and Product Development team within the Universal Products & Experiences EMEA Licensing business. This position will report to the Senior Product Development Manager for Fashion & Living, based in London.
The Product Development Manager contributes to the overall entertainment licensing objectives of the Lifestyle team, within Universal's Product Design Studio's Brand Development. The team's goal is to extend Universal's film and television licensing titles through products that consumers desire and embrace. The PD Manager oversees UK Licensees and possible EMEA Licensees, product development for fashion and lifestyle goods, developing collections and ranges within the Fashion and Home categories with some of our closest partners in the UK and Europe.
This is a key role in the Product development team for driving innovation and opportunities across the region, confidently partnering with our internal and external stakeholders to achieve success.
Key Responsibilities

• Manage and implement Product Development of Fashion & Living categories for Universal's film and catalog titles - from trend research, conceptualizing, developing assortments and directing line plans, packaging design to final product approval
• Foster a positive team culture based on inclusiveness, creativity, passion and drive for success, aligned with our values
• Collaborate internally and externally, providing reliable partnership with our commercial teams and third parties to meet shared objectives and business strategy goals
• Pro-actively lead product development processes with an emphasis on innovation
• Demonstrate a well-versed knowledge of fashion, apparel manufacturing and printing process, color, fabric and trim development, packaging design and go-to-market for apparel, accessories, footwear, home textiles and furnishings
• Art direct graphic application design, provide problem-solving for commercially viable product designs, elevate consumer product design and provide market expertise to our Creative Design team for continued growth and success
• Provide clear and concise direction on trends, graphic composition, typography and creative notes that guide partners to follow our character models and brand attributes, utilizing our fashion and trend style guides and artwork
• Understand and share global, regional and local trends in Fashion and Home categories that translate into commercially viable product ideas for regional and global application
• Communicate with licensees and DTR partners to drive product initiatives
• Deliver and drive compelling product with our partners through innovation and high quality-control levels
• Drive and implement our strong brand application and product quality values through rigid Brand Assurance processes, ensuring all safety guidelines and third-party approval processes are followed and upheld
• Take ownership in cross-functional team synergies by collaborating and sharing best practices with the other Creative and Product Development Team members within the region
• Present and communicate the creative vision of our entertainment brands to our retail and licensing partners on a regular basis with confidence

Qualifications

• Extensive Softlines (Fashion and Living) Product Development experience
• Experience and knowledge of licensed product development processes, including manufacturing of apparel, accessories, footwear, home textiles and furnishings
• Ability to demonstrate thoughtful, clear creative art direction, with strong written, verbal and presentation communication skills
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and problem solve in a dynamic, deadline driven environment
• Highly organized, resourceful and proactive self-starter
• Flexible approach and ability to find solutions with multiple stakeholders in challenging situations
• Mac proficient and advanced skills in Adobe Creative Suite, Keynote and Microsoft applications required; Mediabox (our online approval portal) experience preferred

About You

• Good communicator - honest, transparent, and flexible depending on the audience. The ability to influence stakeholders.
• Relationship builder - able to flex style, understand needs, build a strong network and work within a matrixed environment.
• Entrepreneurial - a self-starter, who is tenacious, independent, driven and proactive.
• Creative problem solver - universally creative and pro-actively seek solutions.
• Commercially curious - continuously seeking to understand the market.
• Conscientious - consistent with clear attention to detail.
• Passionate - energetic, engaged, positive and desiring to make a difference.
• Global & holistic thinker - understand the wider context.
• Inclusive - open-minded, believing in diversity, equity and fairness.
• Trusted to deliver - autonomous, taking on ownership and responsibility for tasks.

Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision.
NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
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