Product Development Manager

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Product Development Manager for Fashion and Living to join the Creative and Product Development team within the Universal Products & Experiences EMEA Licensing business. This position will report to the Senior Product Development Manager for Fashion & Living, based in London. The Product Development Manager contributes to the overall entertainment licensing objectives of the Lifestyle team, within Universal’s Product Design Studio’s Brand Development. The team’s goal is to extend Universal’s film and television licensing titles through products that consumers desire and embrace. The PD Manager oversees UK Licensees and possible EMEA Licensees, product development for fashion and lifestyle goods, developing collections and ranges within the Fashion and Home categories with some of our closest partners in the UK and Europe. This is a key role in the Product development team for driving innovation and opportunities across the region, confidently partnering with our internal and external stakeholders to achieve success. Key Responsibilities Manage and implement Product Development of Fashion & Living categories for Universal’s film and catalog titles – from trend research, conceptualizing, developing assortments and directing line plans, packaging design to final product approval Foster a positive team culture based on inclusiveness, creativity, passion and drive for success, aligned with our values Collaborate internally and externally, providing reliable partnership with our commercial teams and third parties to meet shared objectives and business strategy goals Pro-actively lead product development processes with an emphasis on innovation Demonstrate a well-versed knowledge of fashion, apparel manufacturing and printing process, color, fabric and trim development, packaging design and go-to-market for apparel, accessories, footwear, home textiles and furnishings Art direct graphic application design, provide problem-solving for commercially viable product designs, elevate consumer product design and provide market expertise to our Creative Design team for continued growth and success Provide clear and concise direction on trends, graphic composition, typography and creative notes that guide partners to follow our character models and brand attributes, utilizing our fashion and trend style guides and artwork Understand and share global, regional and local trends in Fashion and Home categories that translate into commercially viable product ideas for regional and global application Communicate with licensees and DTR partners to drive product initiatives Deliver and drive compelling product with our partners through innovation and high quality-control levels Drive and implement our strong brand application and product quality values through rigid Brand Assurance processes, ensuring all safety guidelines and third-party approval processes are followed and upheld Take ownership in cross-functional team synergies by collaborating and sharing best practices with the other Creative and Product Development Team members within the region Present and communicate the creative vision of our entertainment brands to our retail and licensing partners on a regular basis with confidence