Retail Sales & Marketing Manager

About The Role & Team

As Retail Marketing Manager, you will develop and deliver long-term and annual marketing strategies across a diverse range of UK retail accounts, including Smyths Toys. Embracing diverse perspectives, you will use key trends and consumer insights to create adaptable marketing plans and support the commercial team in identifying new business opportunities.

You will lead retail marketing execution, across in-store, digital, influencer, and event channels, for all The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) franchises, focusing on both cross-category and individual initiatives, especially with Toy Specialists.

Central to your role is building collaborative relationships, ensuring every account partnership is inclusive and each voice is respected. Your efforts will support strategic growth in licensing sales for the EMEA business, contributing to a culture of inclusion and respect.

This is a permanent position located at our London office in Hammersmith, requiring four days of on-site attendance per week.

What you will do

• Collaboratively implement the long-term regional marketing strategy for the relevant category and accounts, working closely with commercial, category, and franchise marketing teams to ensure all perspectives are valued and included.
• Foster strong, respectful day-to-day marketing relationships with key accounts, offering support to commercial teams as needed across other growth accounts and new business opportunities.
• Draw on a broad range of macro and micro trends, as well as audience, category, and retailer insights, to shape inclusive and effective marketing campaigns for DCP, aiming to achieve maximum ROI for all stakeholders.
• Ensure that all marketing activity within scope is aligned with regional franchise marketing campaigns as well as category, franchise, and global strategies, supporting a unified and diverse approach.
• Partner with the Senior Retail Sales Manager and the commercial retail team to engage and secure new retailers, focusing on expanding access to channel growth and maximising opportunities for all.
• Build and nurture positive, collaborative relationships with regional DCP teams by sharing local market information and providing regular updates to inform and enrich regional campaigns and strategies.
• Work constructively with other managers within the UK and regional teams, ensuring key accounts benefit from unique points of differentiation and that all team members’ ideas are respected.
• Responsibly manage the allocated marketing budget secured through AOP, ensuring fair and transparent allocation of resources.
• Engage with the integrated TWDC marketing community, regional partnerships team, licensees, and retailers to ensure marketing budgets and licensee promotional commitments are invested in ways that drive positive outcomes for all parties.
• Actively share best practice and campaign analysis across regional, local, and global teams, encouraging a culture of learning, openness, and continuous improvement.

What we’re looking for

• Degree-level education in a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of work experience, with a background in grocery and retail marketing considered essential. Experience in toys marketing is valued and welcomed.
• Demonstrated understanding of digital and social marketing, including experience working collaboratively with influencers.
• Proven track record of planning, executing, and evaluating innovative and inclusive marketing campaigns.
• Experience in the commercialisation of consumer products and/or retail environments.
• Evidence of building positive, effective relationships, leading and managing change, and fostering collaboration across departments to achieve shared financial targets and goals.
• Ability to provide clear, constructive direction and briefs to both internal and agency creative teams, and to manage feedback and approval processes in line with relevant brand and company guidelines.
• Competence in analysing data and consumer insights, drawing practical conclusions, and implementing recommendations to support business objectives.
• Strong financial acumen, with the ability to interpret P&L statements and contribute to quarterly forecasting.
• Comfortable working within the legal frameworks provided by the legal team, ensuring compliance and fairness.
• Agility to embrace new opportunities and identify and engage with new partners, with a proactive approach to evolving market conditions.
• Resilient and adaptable, thriving in a dynamic and ever-changing environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Keynote.
• Business-level fluency in written and spoken English is essential; proficiency in additional European languages is valued and encouraged.
• Keen eye for creative work as well as digital, social, and in-store (brick-and-mortar) marketing.
• Excellent strategic and innovative problem-solving skills, with an inclusive mindset.
• Exceptional planning and organisational abilities, with a commitment to supporting diverse perspectives.
• Strong influencing skills, with the ability to foster buy-in and collaboration at all levels of the organisation.
• Strategic thinker, able to interpret industry trends and translate them into actionable plans that support growth and equity for TWDC.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity, with an understanding of the diverse local markets across EMEA, and a commitment to inclusive practices.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. We are committed to building a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.