Sr Manager, Merchandising - Hardlines

The Walt Disney Company•Kissimmee, FL

2d•$132,600 - $177,700•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Merchandising - Hardlines drives execution of the merchandise strategy and vision for their assigned categories, contributing to a complex, multi-category 3D product portfolio across hardlines categories. This role works closely with cross-functional teams to deliver consumer-centric, trend-right, high-quality product assortments across all owned and operated channels, bringing franchise priorities and guest insights to life through product lines that balance play pattern innovation, collectability, and gifting appeal. The Senior Manager plays a key role in delivering brand equity and financial performance targets through the full product lifecycle, from merchant-led concept and brief through commercialization, applying a working understanding of the technical, regulatory, and manufacturing complexities unique to hardlines development.

Requirements

6-8+ years of progressive experience in Product Merchandising
Leadership and talent development abilities and a collaborative and effective management style
Experience in building a global product line for a category/categories of business that is both globally leveraged and locally relevant
Demonstrated ability to capitalize on market trends and consumer zeitgeist to maximize value creation throughout the trend cycle
Demonstrated ability to create, leverage and scale innovation
Demonstrated ability to manage revenue creation while maintaining brand integrity
Strong working knowledge of the omni-channel marketplace globally
Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution against a financial plan
Strong 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 market
Successful experience working, and thriving, in a highly matrixed company structure
Strong team player – ability to build & foster collaborative partnerships across functions & departments
Ability to think creatively and disruptively to bring and infuse new ideas into product development
Ability to manage the organizational and cultural change efforts needed to ensure new, innovative concepts, business practices, and technologies are fully adopted and integrated into the business
Demonstrated hands-on experience in 3D product development and merchandising within hardlines categories
Experience in open-market and licensed line buying, including evaluating general market product for brand and assortment fit, negotiating vendor and licensing terms, and managing the procurement process to supplement owned development pipelines with commercially viable, speed-to-market solutions
Demonstrated experience planning and executing product-focused events or activations, including fan conventions, collector drops, artist signings, or product launch events, with the ability to coordinate cross-functionally and with external partners to maximize product visibility and commercial impact
Demonstrated experience developing play pattern briefs and packaging intent strategies across 3D hardlines categories, with an understanding of how packaging format, including blister card, window box, blind box/mystery reveal, collector tin, hang tag, clamshell, and polybag, directly impacts consumer perception, purchase behavior, and collecting engagement; conversant in how packaging decisions are made at the category level and how those decisions vary across hardlines categories
Familiarity with the full 3D product development lifecycle, including concept sculpt and proto review, tooling and mold approval, pre-production and top-of-production sampling, color and material matching, Pantone specification, and factory qualification processes specific to hardlines manufacturing across categories
Proven ability to operate as a merchant-led product developer, capable of authoring product briefs, identifying category and assortment gaps, and driving product from concept through production in partnership with sourcing and vendor partners, independent of or in advance of formal Product Design involvement
Experience self-sourcing and onboarding new supplier partners, including managing capability assessments, compliance and regulatory vetting, cost negotiation, and the full supplier setup process across hardlines manufacturing categories
Track record of executing brand collaborations and co-branded product programs from end to end, including partner identification, creative and legal alignment, product development support, and commercial launch, with an ability to balance brand integrity and commercial objectives throughout the process
Active knowledge of and engagement with leading toy industry players, with the ability to apply competitive best practices around play pattern innovation, collectible and blind box strategy, packaging mechanics, and consumer engagement directly to Disney's owned-and-operated retail product lineup
Ability to travel domestically and internationally

Responsibilities

Creates and implements the day-to-day execution of product strategies across a hardlines category / categories
Translates the product strategy into a consumer-focused product strategy for their area of responsibility that is commercially viable
Champions products developed in collaboration with the design teams to capitalize on trends, anticipate consumer demand and drive product innovation in category
Manages consolidation of product needs from all regions and channels to develop one product brief to design ensuring needs of all businesses are met
Find commonality in consumer, customer and market trends to minimize duplication / cannibalization; identify areas to reduce complexity and increase productivity globally
Establish perspective on what’s working and why to consistently improve product line
Partners with Studio, Global Creative, and Marketing teams to bring our content and IP to life properly and with a consistent brand point of view across the globe
Partners with Product Design and Sourcing to deliver seasonal product lines for vertical and wholesale business models that meet business objectives including sustainability goals
Identify opportunities to leverage products, co-brands and collaborations globally
Develop metrics and lead team to deliver development counts, adoption KPIs and COGs targets
Demonstrate and apply a thorough understanding of the development complexities inherent in 3D hardlines categories, executing against multi-step tooling, technical engineering, factory capability assessment, compound and material choices, surface decoration techniques and approvals, and manufacturing lead times
Execute open-market and licensed line buying to supplement the vertical product development pipeline, sourcing commercially available product from the general market or licensed vendor community to fill assortment gaps, react to emerging trends, or support key franchise moments where speed-to-market is critical; evaluate vendor terms, exclusivity, and brand fit as part of the selection process
Execute the ideation, negotiation, and delivery of brand collaborations and co-branded product programs, identifying culturally relevant partners, supporting the creative alignment process, and ensuring all collaboration product meets Disney brand standards while delivering meaningful commercial impact and incremental guest engagement
Execute product-focused events and activations that amplify the hardlines merchandise offering, including product reveals, collector drops, artist signings, fan conventions, and park-adjacent experiences, partnering with marketing, operations, and creative teams to maximize product visibility
Execute merchant-initiated product development independent of the formal Product Design structure, authoring creative and technical product briefs and driving concept through commercialization in direct partnership with sourcing and manufacturing partners; this capability is critical in fast-moving or capacity-constrained environments where merchant led development takes place to unburden the Product Design pipeline
Execute against the end to end product lifecycle, from concept through commercialization, ensuring product development and sampling deliver against financial targets, innovation, sustainability, and regulatory requirements
Navigate and execute against the distinct technical and regulatory requirements of 3D product categories, including toy safety standards, age-grading and choking hazard assessments, and quality control protocols specific to sculpted, molded, stuffed, and handcrafted product forms across hardlines categories
Execute self-sourcing initiatives by identifying, evaluating, and onboarding new supplier partners
Integrate sustainability, material innovation, and regulatory requirements into product strategies in partnership with sourcing and production teams
Category and Brand ambassador to cross-functional teams showing up as a compelling, dynamic, knowledgeable manager in all stages of go to market process and partner interactions where product is discussed
Build compelling stories and create solutions to drive category vision and grow sales
Manage conversation and activities with sourcing to cost the line, run financial scenarios
Manage conversation with design to create a product line in all activities, key milestone meetings
Actively manage communication and collaboration with key commercialization partners
Strong Point of View on consumer, customer and business effectively communicated across stakeholders and management
Lead through ambiguity
Manage direct reports with immediate feedback on performance and weekly touch bases to review deliverables, regular development and coaching
Build, develops and retains best in class Merchant talent
Execute and manage simultaneous, overlapping hardlines product timelines within category, maintaining clarity on development milestones, lead times, approval gates, and delivery windows, and making real-time prioritization decisions that protect on-time execution without compromising product integrity or financial targets
Manage category operating budgets and financial plans, driving disciplined decision making and scenario planning to achieve performance targets