Product Development Manager (Consumer Products) - WildBrain CPLG

Hybrid work: Employees work in a hybrid model balancing collaboration in our office and remote work.  
Salary: $70,000 - $85,000 gross basic per annum

Find a job that lets your imagination run wild!

With 14 offices covering 60 countries, WildBrain CPLG is one of the leading third-party licensing agencies, managing consumer products for some of the world’s best-loved properties across lifestyle brands, entertainment, and classics. Since 1974 we have been providing our clients with dedicated licensing and marketing industry professionals, and a fully-integrated product development team. We are looking to add to our talented team of innovators that can help us manage some of the most profitable and enduring brands in the world!

We believe that our partnerships are about clarity, openness, and trust, and we are widely known for our no-nonsense, straightforward approach. Come join us!

About the job/role

Reporting to the Head of Product Development, the Product Development Manager will act as a central resource for CPLG across North America, supporting product development and creative activities across the territories. As a member of the Creative Services Department, you will work on a spectrum of brands, from Entertainment to Lifestyle, developing trend-led and seasonal products for a variety of licensees, retailers, and target markets.

Creative Support

• Manage and execute licensed product design.
• Develop and design product mock-ups, compile line sheets for line reviews, layout creative presentations and retail pitch decks
• Support DTR and key fashion retail design initiatives across the Territories. 
• Manage workflow & Critical paths (on Monday.com) in line with KPI’s
• Develop retail in store mock-ups to demonstrate how a brand can be represented to consumers on the shop floor.
• Identify style guide gaps and Licensee needs in line with the wider Creative Services team.

Licensor/ee management

• Manage key relationships with Licensor creative and product development personnel e.g. Supercell, Harper Collins, Moose Toy, Absolut Vodka, Malibu Rum, Master Lock
• Onboard new Licensees, DTR, halo partners globally and locally
• Plan and run ideation sessions to drive interest and innovation
• Maintain key communication with the WildBrain Brands team receiving and feeding into style guide updates and management of asset storing.
  Deliver weekly updates to the local commercial team, including reports noting Licensee developments, status and asset updates.

Asset Generation

• Collaborate with designers to drive up-front trends and overall creative direction and identify future areas of growth within our franchises and across product categories. This includes preparing custom design tools and retail pitches to differentiate by category.
• Monitor competitors, product innovation and market dynamics.
• Develop internal and external style guides in conjunction with agency and freelance support.

Product Development

• Responsible for managing the end-to-end approvals process and delivering innovative brand-appropriate products to market. (eg. MyMedibox)
• Support the wider PD team on key partner submissions when necessary.
• Collaborate with the Creative Services Director and Head of PD in developing creative strategies to facilitate future growth.
• Develop additional sales materials such as collaborations booklets, inspiration & benchmark presentations & look books. 

• Relevant design-related experience
• Strong portfolio of work demonstrating layout, typography, and communication
• Sound knowledge of the product development and approval processes and experience in creatively driving range development
• Proficient with using on-line approval software, including running reports
• Good knowledge of hardlines / Softlines categories, fast fashion, and DTR retailers.
• Ability to Multi-task and prioritize multiple design projects, running simultaneously with varying levels.
• Self-starter and problem solver.
• Experience in influencing key partners and stakeholders.
• Able to filter through complex issues, find solutions, gain support and implement change.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong fashion apparel/product design, graphical and visualization skills
• Computer software skills (e.g. MS Office, Photoshop, Illustrator) - Bonus: Blender (3D), Clo 3D

What We Offer 

Working at WildBrain is more than a job — it’s the opportunity to join forces with extraordinary, insightful and imaginative people who will recognize your talents and encourage your professional growth and development in a work environment that promotes creativity and individuality. Some of the perks we have are private health insurance, income protection, gym subsidies, employee share programs and flexible working.

Our Commitment  

Diversity and Inclusion are in our DNA. As a global leader in kids and family entertainment, we strive to reflect and honour the diversity of our audiences around the world. We believe that creating diverse and inclusive content & brands begins with fostering a culture of belonging at WildBrain. To us, a culture of belonging is one where we celebrate and welcome the diversity of all employees, stakeholders, and external partners and strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and brings their authentic self to work.

We demonstrate our commitment to this by striving to provide a supportive work environment and a corporate culture that welcomes and encourages equal opportunities for all employees. We recognize that people bring experience and talent that goes beyond the technical skills and requirements of a job. If you possess similar experience that is close to what we’ve listed here, we encourage you to please still consider applying. We strongly believe that diverse experience, transferable skills, and passion are key! WildBrain accommodates people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process. Applicants are encouraged to make their needs known in advance if accommodation is required. 

About WildBrain:  a parent company of Wildbrain CPLG

At WildBrain we inspire imaginations through the wonder of storytelling. As a leader in 360° IP management, we are experts in content creation, audience engagement and global licensing, cultivating and growing love for our own and partner brands with kids and families around the world. With approximately 13,000 half-hours of filmed entertainment in our library—one of the world’s most extensive—we are home to such treasured franchises as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi. WildBrain’s mission is to create exceptional entertainment experiences that captivate and delight fans both young and young at heart.  

Our studios produce such award-winning series as The Snoopy Show; Snoopy in Space; Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City; Sonic Prime; Chip and Potato; Teletubbies Let's Go! and many more. Enjoyed in more than 150 countries on over 500 platforms, our content is everywhere kids and families view entertainment, including YouTube, where our network has garnered over 1 trillion minutes of watch time. Our television group owns and operates some of Canada’s most-viewed family entertainment channels. WildBrain CPLG, our leading consumer-products and location-based entertainment agency, represents our owned and partner properties in every major territory worldwide.   

WildBrain is headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at wildbrain.com.