Brand Manager - Action Figures, Plush & Imaginext

The Opportunity:
The Brand Manager, Action Figures, Plush & Imaginext, is responsible for translating global and EMEA Commercial Marketing priorities into locally relevant business, marketing and commercial plans across Poland and selected CEE markets.
This role acts as the local category owner, ensuring that brand strategies, product plans, launch priorities, retail narratives and consumer programmes are executed effectively to drive revenue, market share and brand growth. The position supports both licensed and owned brands and serves as the key link between regional strategy and local execution.
What Your Impact Will Be:
1. Category Strategy and Local Market Planning
Execute EMEA category priorities and global brand strategies across Poland and selected CEE markets.
Develop local commercial marketing plans aligned with EMEA growth objectives and market realities.
Translate franchise priorities, launch calendars and campaign moments into clear, locally relevant action plans.
Maintain alignment between category objectives, product priorities, marketing plans and commercial goals.
Consolidate local market intelligence and provide actionable recommendations to EMEA leadership.
Identify growth opportunities, competitive threats, demand risks and market-specific requirements early.
2. Product and Portfolio Management
Provide local market input on product relevance, assortment requirements, launch timing, pricing realities, retail opportunities and consumer needs.
Partner with EMEA Marketing Activation team to support portfolio decisions and local line plan refinement.
Identify assortment gaps and recommend actions to maximise category performance.
Participate in forecasting, business reviews and line planning processes.
Ensure product launch readiness and escalate major risks relating to product, timing, price, approvals or execution.
3. Marketing Planning and Campaign Execution
Develop and execute annual marketing and activation plans for Action Figures, Plush and Imaginext.
Lead the local implementation of EMEA campaigns and key franchise activations.
Adapt global content and assets to local consumer, cultural, linguistic, media, legal and regulatory requirements.
Define local launch plans, campaign phasing, media needs, asset requirements and execution priorities.
Manage agencies and external partners to deliver high-quality work on time, on budget and in line with brand and licensor guidelines.
Track campaign performance, capture learnings and recommend optimisation actions.
4. Retailer and Customer Engagement
Partner with Sales and Omnichannel Retail Marketing to create compelling, retailer-ready brand and category stories.
Develop or support customer presentations, launch narratives, category arguments and sell-in materials.
Support customer meetings, toy fairs, previews, summits, top-to-top meetings and local market events.
Ensure product messaging, marketing support and customer-facing materials are aligned.
Capture retailer and customer feedback and feed it into local, EMEA and global planning.
5. Retail Activation and Shopper Marketing
Partner with Omnichannel Retail Marketing to translate brand priorities into effective shopper and retailer execution.
Support displays, merchandising programmes, digital retail content, shopper campaigns, retail media and e-commerce programmes.
Ensure that assets and toolkits are ready for local execution.
Monitor retail readiness and flag risks relating to asset availability, retailer timing, compliance or promotional support.
Share activation learnings to strengthen future planning and commercial assumptions.
6. Pan-European Market Responsibilities
In addition to the standard Commercial Marketing responsibilities, the role provides market expertise and adaptation required within the CEE operating model:
Provide early and continuous local input on consumer trends, customer realities, pricing sensitivity, launch feasibility, competitive dynamics and demand risks.
Feed local plans, promotions, risks and opportunities into regional and category planning.
Ensure regional plans appropriately reflect local culture, regulation, media landscape and competitive dynamics.
Lead or coordinate local communications, content adaptation and launch execution where required.
Support local PR partnerships and creator-led programmes where local execution is required.
Partner with Sales and ORM team on local retailer pitch needs while respecting agreed ownership of customer-specific retail execution.
Ensure local activations meet legal, regulatory and cultural requirements.
Participate in defined pricing checkpoints and provide relevant local market or SKU-level inputs where required, while formal pricing ownership remains regional.
7. Business Management and Forecasting
Monitor category performance, POS, sell-through, market share, inventory and forecast trends.
Provide clear business commentary on brand, category, consumer, market and competitive drivers.
Participate in monthly business reviews, forecasting cycles and planning discussions.
Identify risks, upside opportunities and execution gaps, and recommend corrective actions.
Connect performance insights back to product, marketing and retail plans.
Support licensor reviews and regional business updates where applicable.
8. Stakeholder and Partner Management
Build strong relationships across local, regional and global teams.
Act as the day-to-day category contact for local licensors, where applicable.
Coordinate alignment on plans, priorities, assets, approvals, launches and market opportunities.
Document key decisions, owners, actions and timing after important meetings.
Escalate approval delays, partnership issues, conflicting feedback, asset gaps or commercial risks early.
Drive a One Team mindset across markets and functions.
What We’re Looking For:
Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration or a related field.
Relevant experience in Brand Management, Category Marketing, Commercial Marketing or a related function.
Experience managing international brands and working in a matrixed organisation.
Strong commercial understanding and knowledge of retail dynamics.
Experience working across multiple countries or markets is preferred.
Experience with licensed brands, entertainment properties or consumer products is an advantage.
Fluent English and Polish are required; additional CEE languages are an advantage.
Key Competencies:
Strategic thinking and strong commercial acumen
Consumer and customer focus
Brand-building capability with executional excellence
Analytical thinking and comfort using business performance data
Project management, prioritisation and follow-through
Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
Clear written, verbal and presentation communication
Agility and adaptability in a fast-moving environment
Ability to simplify complex information into clear plans, actions, owners and timing
Attention to detail, particularly for assets, approvals, guidelines and launch readiness

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
No