Parks, Experiences and Products: Director, Merchandising & Brand Strategy

Reporting to the VP of Owned & Operated Merchandising,this individual will lead a team of merchants responsible for developing the quarterly product brief, strategy, line architecture and assortment curation for our worldwide Disney Parks, The Disney Store & ShopDisney.Com.

This role will be focused on the essential product strategies and initiatives that will equip The Walt Disney Company in unlocking its next wave of short-term and long-term growth while delivering innovation, increased value and new businesses to the organization.

Accountability will span a division of categories (hardlines, Softlines or region specific) across all brands, representing the owned and operated portfolio globally.

The Director will have a detailed understanding of the guest and demography to evaluate the assortment and react to in-season performance/trends and hindsight performance and learnings to inform future seasons.

Responsibilities : Areas of Strategic Oversight Include: Lead divisional level creation of the Owned & Operated product brief,line architecture, assortment plan and cross-brand integration for global parks, The Disney Store and shopDisney.Com locations that delivers the best expression of our brands.

Lead the merchandising strategy and assortment curation for hardlines, Softlines or region specific, enabling one global line for; Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Disney Signature Experiences, The Disney Store, ShopDisney.Com & International Parks/Disney store leveraging & integration.Lead divisional team of merchandisers in the curation of one holistic O& O global product line that identifies commonality while ensuring needs of each regional/site commercial strategyLead divisional line curation that supports a segmented go-to-market approach from Flagship to Outlet globallyBuild and curate a divisional consumer-centric, global assortments that support strategic intent of the brand and drive outsized growth at retail for each region / siteStrategically build product assortment strategies that meet divisional profit thresholds while delivering the strongest price/value ratio to our customers and consumersDefine divisional seasonal product flow strategy that supports company content calendar including; film, TV, synergy, attractions, entertainment, anniversaries, historical needs, and addresses regional holiday/seasonal selling patternsDevelop and deliver cohesive seasonal product brief to Brand team that ensures O& O needs are addressed across brands, franchisees and divisional categories while maximizing item productivity, and capitalizing on key successes across multiple regions / sitesAnalyze Global business performance and develop strategies and growth objectives that are aligned with Disney Store & Park needs.

Use analytics in the formulation of the product briefOwn and drive the divisional P& L, work with planning and finance partners to set annual plans and manages the in season trend to maximize results and adjust based on trendsLead Merchandising and Collaboration for Parks specific activations:Drive the best expression of our brands through unique Park and Attraction based retailing.

Build product strategies for division that are designed for a fully immersive space though well-executed activations that maximize capture within the attraction while building equity and desire for future interaction with products in our unique specialty retail environmentLead divisional team to build category/collection/item level product brief that supports the immersive Parks-specific experiencesPartner with Walt Disney Imagineering and merchant teams for each brand to ensure the products we build continue to story tell and complete the experience for our valuable Parks guestsAttract and convert new consumers though the creation of product strategies designed for the Parks retail space globally.

Leverage synergy between parksDevelop divisional/category level global merchandising strategic landscape ensuring quarterly / annual growth targets are achieved Develop high performing teams and bench to support organizational growth needsLead a geographically dispersed team of salaried leaders and their direct reports.

Basic Qualifications : 10+ years of progressive experience in Product Merchandising, specialty retail & product assortment strategy Solid experience across both brick & mortar and digital/ecommerce, with a strong working knowledge of the global omni-channel marketplaceDeep leadership experience in driving a global businessExceptional communication skills, strong collaboration and relationship buildingStrong analytical skills, process oriented, vertical retail experience, multiple categories a plus Softlines & HardlinesAbility to take the global assortment and bring the experience to life in both brick and mortar and ecommerceDevelop commercial and marketing strategies with key partnersTake complex processes and integrate into a global merchandising strategyExperience in curating a global product line that is both globally leveraged and locally relevant, with a proven track record of thinking creatively and disruptively to bring and infuse new ideas to the businessExperience in multiple segments, brands and channels within the global market Experience in curating a global product line that is both globally leveraged and locally relevantExperience in Merchandising for vertical specialty retail environmentExperience partnering with global teams, stakeholders and partners in other countriesDemonstrated ability to manage revenue creation while maintaining brand integrityStrategic thinker with the ability to drive execution against a financial planStrong interpersonal skills and ability to influence a diverse audience including experience working with external partners and business owners to bring product and assortments to the marketAbility to travel domestically and internationallyAdditional Information : CPGPJOBS #DPEPFLA