Assoc. Manager, CP Agencies & Retail – PEM (Pan-European Markets)

The Opportunity:
We are seeking a commercially driven Associate Manager to lead Mattel’s Consumer Products agency model across Turkey and South Africa. This role will be accountable for the performance, governance and development of external agencies representing Mattel across all Consumer Products categories in the assigned markets. The Associate Manager will ensure agencies operate as strategic extensions of Mattel, translating regional priorities into robust market plans, building high-quality partner pipelines and delivering sustainable royalty, revenue and brand growth.
The Team :
Sitting within the EMEA Consumer Products organization, the Pan-European Markets (PEM) (Turkey, South Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Greece, the Balkans, and North Export) team leads the development and execution of Consumer Products strategy across a diverse portfolio of markets, business models and categories. The team builds and grows relationships with licensees, retailers, external agencies, distributors and other strategic partners, translating EMEA and global priorities into locally relevant growth plans. We work closely with the PEM Commercial Lead and Country Managers, as well as Global and EMEA Consumer Products, Franchise, Brand, Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Retail Franchise Development, Finance, Legal and Audit teams.
What Your Impact Will Be:
AGENCY LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE
Act as Mattel’s primary relationship owner for external Consumer Products agencies in Turkey and South Africa.
Set clear objectives, commercial targets, operating rhythms and performance expectations for each agency, aligned with PEM and EMEA priorities.
Lead regular business reviews, pipeline discussions and performance evaluations, ensuring transparency, accountability and timely corrective action.
Ensure agencies comply with Mattel policies, brand standards, approval processes, contractual obligations and reporting requirements.
MARKET STRATEGY & COMMERCIAL GROWTH
Develop market-specific Consumer Products plans across all categories and brands, reflecting local consumer, retail, regulatory and route-to-market dynamics.
Partner with agencies to identify category whitespace, recruit high-potential licensees and retailers, negotiate commercial opportunities and expand successful partnerships.
Own market forecasts, royalty and revenue delivery, partner pipelines and risk management across the assigned territories.
Use market, consumer and competitor insights to prioritize opportunities and build compelling growth recommendations.
COUNTRY & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
Work closely with the PEM Commercial Lead and relevant Country Managers to integrate Consumer Products priorities into broader market strategies and customer plans.
Act as the connection between agencies and EMEA Category, Franchise, Brand, Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Retail Franchise Development, Finance and Legal teams.
Ensure local market opportunities and constraints are represented in PEM and EMEA planning, while maintaining consistency with global brand and category direction.
Share best practices across agencies and markets to raise execution standards and accelerate growth.
RETAIL FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT (PEM)
Directly lead the Franchise Retail Marketing in Turkey, and act as the PEM Franchise Retail Marketing lead for the rest of the PEM region, in direct connection with the relevant Consumer Products Team members.
Build relationships with priority retailers and identify opportunities for cross-category franchise programs, exclusive propositions and brand-led activations.
Create and pitch compelling retailer stories using Mattel brands, consumer insights and commercial opportunities.
Partner with Country Managers and Commercial teams to improve product listings, shelf presence, retail execution and sell-through.
Coordinate activation plans from concept through execution, ensuring alignment with retailer objectives and Mattel brand standards.
What We’re Looking For:
5+ years of experience in consumer products, licensing, commercial sales, agency management or a related field.
Experience managing external agencies, distributors or market representatives across multiple territories.
Strong knowledge of licensing processes, partner acquisition, negotiations, forecasting and contract governance.
Commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to assess pipelines, manage targets and translate insights into action.
Excellent influencing, relationship-management and communication skills across cultures and organizations.
Ability to operate independently, manage complexity and hold external partners accountable while building trusted relationships.
Experience in Turkey and South Africa, or comparable emerging and growth markets, is highly desirable.
Degree in Business, Marketing or a relevant subject or equivalent experience
Proven sales negotiation experience and commercial thinking mindset
Fluency in Turkish and English is required.

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
No