Senior Category Manager, Softlines

Location: New York (US)

Salary: $110,000 - $125,000

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

Overview                                                                                                                                                              

Join our Peanuts Worldwide team within WildBrain today to become part of the story! From Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+ to interactive experiences worldwide, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats from traditional to digital. Peanuts Worldwide, is a division of WildBrain Ltd., a global kids media and content company headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide. 

About the Role 

Reporting to the VP, Global Softlines , the Senior Category Manager, Softlines will play an important role in driving our global softlines business by identifying whitespace’ opportunities; prospecting and securing new licensees and building strong relationships with current licensees and partners. In this role, in support of the VP, Global Softlines, you will pay an integral role  in defining the future strategy of our softlines categories for the Peanuts brand (which includes apparel, accessories, home, craft, pet, domestic electronics, HBA and collaborations), with the ultimate goal of connecting our fans with authentic products in fun and engaging ways!  Responsible for the day-to-day management and growth of the Home, Domestic Electronics and Pet categories, driving strategy in support of the overall brand goals. 

The ideal candidate for this role will have a passion for our Peanuts brand, hands-on experience in softlines categories and proven success in building relationships with key licensees. This role will require travel throughout North America.

Category Growth

• Identify global softlines whitespace and strategies to fill and optimize opportunities in assigned categories
• Understand the competitive landscape by analyzing current business against market/product trends
• Monitor softlines sales performance to ensure success of key licensees and programs 
• Strategically target potential softlines licensees by evaluating licensee structure, retail relationships and product quality/design capabilities 
• Oversee new contract negotiations and renewals, ensuring terms meet the licensor requirements, contractual obligations and overall business objectives 

Category Management

• Develop and implement business plans and go-to-market strategies by category, for new and existing partners.
• Lead quarterly business and creative reviews with key partners to ensure objectives are being met
• Partner with creative team to ensure assets are being developed to fulfil licensee and category needs

Retail Development and Marketing Brand Initiatives

• Develop category strategy to and work with partners to ensure licensees are developing against any upcoming brand initiatives as directed by the Marketing team.
• Support retail initiatives with ongoing category updates and licensee support.
• Facilitate ongoing communication between key partners and Retail team to ensure that we are being opportunistic in securing retail placement.
• Record and track licensee retail placement to identify gaps/white space

Financial

• Liase with VP Global Softlines and Finance team to budget and forecast sales and royalty revenue
• Analyze licensee and category performance on a quarterly and annual basis to identify key trends and/or major deviations from

• Experience in an entertainment or fashion licensing role; working directly with key licensees,  pitching potential partners, securing deals, negotiating deal points, and managing partners.
• Experience negotiating long-term deals that support sustainable and incremental growth
• Passion for Peanuts Worldwide brand, kids’ and/or family entertainment; familiarity and understanding of the mindset of target audience.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of product development, merchandising, retail/sales development, and licensing contracts
• Strong presentation skills.
• Flexible team player with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and at all levels of the organization. Thrives in a fast paced, changing environment that necessitates working on many different projects simultaneously.
• Motivated self-starter who demonstrates strong initiative, attention to detail, creativity and excellent work ethic
• Strong organizational skills and ability to think strategically and demonstrate good judgement and problem solving abilities.
• Exceptional verbal, written and interpersonal skills
• College degree, preferably in Business or related field 
• Proficient in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

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.

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. 

WildBrain is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status or characteristic.

About WildBrain

At WildBrain we make great content for kids and families. With approximately 13,000 half-hours of filmed entertainment in our library – one of the world’s most extensive – we are home to such brands as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test and Degrassi. Our shows are seen in more than 150 countries on over 500 telecasters and streaming platforms. WildBrain’s portfolio spans all areas of the entertainment industry: WildBrain Studios, where we develop and produce hit animated and live actions series; WildBrain Television, which is composed of prominent kids’ television channels in Canada (Family Channel, Family CHRGD, Family Jr. and Télémagino); home to Peanuts Worldwide; brand management to some of the world’s most-loved kids brands; celebrated global licensing and distribution teams with WildBrain CPLG, and a leading children’s YouTube network in WildBrain Spark, one of the largest networks of kids’ channels on YouTube, with over 168 million subscribers.

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

About WildBrain:  a parent company of Peanuts Worldwide

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.