Product Development Manager (Consumer Products)

WildBrain CPLG is seeking a Product Development Manager to join their Creative Services team. This role involves managing the creative execution and approval processes for product ranges across a portfolio of lifestyle, entertainment, and sports brands like Peanuts. The manager will ensure product innovation, adhere to client approval processes, and liaise with commercial teams, global creative teams, and external clients. The position focuses predominantly on the Benelux region, requiring an inquisitive candidate passionate about product development, emerging trends, and delivering high-quality, innovative products.

Must Have

• Manage end-to-end approval process for products
• Deliver innovative brand-appropriate products to market
• Proactively manage multiple projects using software (MyMediaBox, Brand Comply & Monday.com)
• Manage creative output of partners and sign-off
• Deliver bi/weekly updates to local commercial team
• Manage and review quarterly Licensee reports
• Plan and run ideation sessions
• Liaise with Licensors for feedback
• Proactively manage Licensees range development
• Establish and nurture external relationships (Licensor/Licensee)
• Sound knowledge of product development & approval processes
• Experience in creatively driving range development
• Relevant Consumer Products Brand Activation experience in licensing
• Good understanding of consumer product categories and production limitations
• Proficient with on-line approval software
• Good knowledge of Dutch, UK and wider European market
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft packages
• Ability to communicate clear design/direction changes

Good to Have

• Inquisitive about trend newness
• Natural interest in consumer product
• Solution-driven with a can-do attitude
• An eye for detail

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive benefits
• Investment in professional growth and development
• Supportive work environment
• Corporate culture that welcomes and encourages equal opportunities
• Accommodation for people with disabilities throughout recruitment

Company Description

Location: London

Hybrid work: Employees work in a hybrid model balancing collaboration in our office and remote work.

Overview

WildBrain CPLG is a world-leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency with 20 offices worldwide. Since 1972 we have been providing our partners with dedicated licensing and marketing professionals and fully integrated retail, creative & product development, legal and accounting services.

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 straightforward approach.

About the Role

WildBrain CPLG is looking for a Product Development Manager to join our Creative Services team! You’ll work across a wide portfolio of exciting lifestyle, entertainment and sports brands, including Peanuts, WildBrain Brands. You will be responsible for ensuring the clients’ approval processes are adhered to and manage the creative execution on all product ranges ensuring product innovation is best in class. Reporting into the Western Regional Lead (UK,FR, BNLX), you will predominantly work across the Benelux region. Liaising with the local commercial teams, global Creative team and external Clients, the role requires a candidate who is inquisitive about trend newness, product innovation and has an eye for detail!

This is a perfect opportunity for a candidate who is passionate about product development, eager to explore emerging trends and committed to delivering high-quality innovative products!

Job Description

Product Development

• Responsible for managing the end-to-end, approvals process and delivering innovative brand-appropriate products to market.
• Proactively manage multiple projects using software such as MyMediaBox, Brand Comply & Monday.com
• Support the wider PD team on key partner submissions when necessary.
• Manage the creative output of partners including the appropriate sign off, across WB Brands.
• Deliver bi/weekly updates to the local commercial team including reports noting Licensee developments, status and asset updates.
• Participate in regular summits and status calls with the Creative Services team.

Licensor/ee management

• Manage and review quarterly Licensee reports highlighting designs in selection and those that have been selected / raised purchase orders.
• Plan and run ideation sessions to drive interest and innovation.
• Liaise with Licensors to ensure their feedback is appropriate and solution-driven.
• Proactively manage Licensees range development ensuring to identify gaps in article development and/or standard of execution.
• Establish, develop and nurture external relationships across our Licensor and Licensee Portfolio.

Creative

• Participate and engage in global team activities, such as comp shops, providing visibility to the group.
• Remain alert to market and industry trends and share knowledge across the global team.
• Identify style guide gaps and Licensee needs in line with the wider Creative Services team.
• Monitor competitors, product innovation and market dynamics.

Qualifications

• Sound knowledge of the product development & approval processes, and experience in creatively driving range development.
• A proactive, solution driven mind set to deliver against deadlines.
• Relevant Consumer Products Brand Activation experience in licensing.
• A good understanding of consumer product categories and their production limitations.
• Proficient with using on-line approval software including running reports.
• Good knowledge of the Dutch, UK and wider European market, including retailers.
• Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft packages
• The ability to communicate a clear change in design/direction whilst managing all stakeholders
• Wider knowledge of licensing and product/design trends and a natural interest in consumer product.
• Solution-driven with proactive with a can-do attitude
• An eye for detail

Additional Information

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. We offer competitive benefits, and we invest in our people and their future.

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

At WildBrain we inspire imaginations through the wonder of storytelling. A leader in 360° franchise management—spanning Content Creation, Audience Engagement and Global Licensing—our mission is to cultivate and grow love for our own and partner brands through exceptional entertainment experiences. Home to such franchises as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi, we produce such acclaimed series as The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space, Camp Snoopy, Teletubbies Let’s Go!, Yo Gabba GabbaLand!, Sonic Prime and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City. With a library of approximately 14,000 half-hours, our shows reach kids and families everywhere, including on our YouTube network, which has generated more than 1.7 trillion minutes of watch time. Our consumer products licensing arm, WildBrain CPLG, represents our own and partner brands in every major territory worldwide.

Headquartered in Toronto, WildBrain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at wildbrain.com.

About WildBrain CPLG

WildBrain CPLG is a trusted licensing partner for leading brands worldwide, offering 50 years of expertise building consumer products and location-based entertainment programmes across the entertainment, sport, corporate and lifestyle sectors. With over 20 offices serving the UK, Europe, India, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific and the US, WildBrain CPLG combines the strength of global reach with expertise in local markets to achieve the best results for partners. Our passionate teams consistently challenge themselves to explore new and innovative ideas and opportunities in partnerships, activations, creative and business processes to celebrate and build brands. At WildBrain CPLG, we believe that collaboration is about clarity, openness and trust, and we are widely known for our no-nonsense, straightforward approach. WildBrain CPLG is part of WildBrain Ltd., a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment. Please contact us or visit the WildBrain CPLG website for more information: www.cplg.com.