Franchise Manager, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios, a filmmaker-driven studio known for beloved films like Frozen and Moana, seeks a Franchise Manager. This role involves shaping iconic franchises by partnering with enterprise teams to sustain intellectual property, ensure character and story continuity, and project-manage cross-divisional programs. The manager will report to the Director, Franchise Strategy and Consumer Products, supporting line of business goals and WDAS priorities, driving long-term value, and overseeing operational needs, processes, timelines, strategy implementation, and creative excellence.

Must Have

• Manage, assess, and route incoming WDAS franchise inquires
• Support creation and organization of franchise tools and materials
• Distribute requested assets, ensuring clearance, security, and confidentiality
• Supervise assigned franchise projects in collaboration with WDAS franchise team
• Manage, lead, organize and facilitate regular check-ins with cross-line-of-business partners
• Manage engagement process for ongoing cross-company activity for each franchise
• Manage sourcing and collating of franchise information from divisional partners
• Provide guidance and insights on franchise strategies
• Organize weekly art reviews for franchise projects
• Manage production schedules, timelines, marketing needs and clearances for franchise AV projects
• Evaluate priorities and assemble agendas for multiple filmmaker reviews
• Identify opportunities for process enhancements
• Analyze franchise performance and consumer insights
• 6+ years in franchise management, marketing strategy or strategic planning
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or related field or commensurate professional experience
• Highly organized and comfortable in fast-paced environment
• Ability to prioritize large volume of incoming inquiries and information
• Expertise in project management and strategy implementation
• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills
• Strong team player with a collaborative mindset
• Excellent relationship-building skills
• Strong understanding of content and media business
• Excellent communication skills with high level creative executives
• Available to work onsite 3-5 days per week

Good to Have

• Knowledge of animation production process
• Prior experience in marketing or brand management capacity

Perks & Benefits

• Bonus
• Long-term incentive units
• Medical benefits
• Financial benefits
• Other benefits

Job Summary:

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made, including Frozen, Zootopia and Moana. For over 100 years, Disney Animation has told timeless stories, set in imaginative worlds, with compelling characters. We invite you to bring your unique talents, passion and ideas to our collaborative team.

Join Disney, a world-renowned leader in entertainment and storytelling, as a Franchise Manager where your expertise will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our iconic franchises. As a subject matter expert, you will partner with teams across the enterprise to sustain Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) Franchise intellectual property, drive character and story continuity, and project-manage cross-divisional programs. This role requires a skilled and experienced individual who can collaborate effectively and build strong relationships.

Reporting to the Director, Franchise Strategy and Consumer Products, the Franchise Manager will support line of business franchise goals and WDAS priorities, driving long-term value across the company. The role will oversee the operational needs of the WDAS Franchise team by managing processes and timelines, implementing strategy, and ensuring creative excellence in all executions.

Responsibilities:

• Manage, assess, and route incoming WDAS franchise inquires, determining the appropriate communication and workflow of submissions
• Support the creation and organization of franchise tools and materials, keeping cross-company partners up-to-date with information, assets, strategy, and guidelines via our repository systems like BOX
• Distribute requested assets, ensuring clearance, security, and confidentiality
• Supervise assigned franchise projects in close collaboration with the WDAS franchise team, overseeing stakeholder routing, filmmaker reviews, timelines, asset delivery, and successful execution
• Manage, lead, organize and facilitate regular check-ins with cross-line-of-business partners
• Manage the process for regularly engaging partners related to ongoing cross-company activity for each franchise, maintaining the highest quality creative for the various programs and experiences
• Manage the sourcing and collating of franchise information from divisional partners to keep internal materials current
• Provide guidance and insights on franchise strategies to align with broader company directives and priorities
• Organize weekly art reviews for franchise projects as needed with internal WDAS artists
• Manage production schedules, timelines, marketing needs and clearances for franchise AV projects
• Evaluate priorities and assemble agendas for multiple filmmaker reviews
• Identify opportunities for process enhancements to improve communication, asset sourcing, and partnership communication
• Analyze franchise performance and consumer insights to inform franchise growth and engagement

Basic Qualifications:

• 6+ years in franchise management, marketing strategy or strategic planning
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field or commensurate professional experience
• Highly organized and comfortable in fast-paced environment, ability to prioritize large volume of incoming inquiries and information
• Expertise in project management and strategy implementation
• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills
• Strong team player with a collaborative mindset
• Excellent relationship-building skills to foster ongoing positive collaboration with partners
• Strong understanding of content and media business
• Excellent communication skills with high level creative executives
• Knowledge of animation production process is helpful
• Prior experience in either marketing or brand management capacity helpful
• Ability to listen with deep curiosity to identify innovative solutions that are mutually beneficial
• Must be available to work onsite 3-5 days per week

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $95,500 to $128,000 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

About Walt Disney Animation Studios:

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. Disney Animation continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” to the upcoming fall 2024 feature, “Moana 2.” Among the studio's timeless creations are “Pinocchio,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and “Encanto.”

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Walt Disney Pictures, which is part of a business we call Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Walt Disney Pictures is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.