Manager, Brand

As the
Brand Manager
, you'll lead the charge, execute, and accelerate the overall development for one of the hottest plush brands in the market -
Squishmallows
. This role is crucial for ensuring we hit all product development milestones and bring new products to market on time. You will manage the day-to-day business operations and act as a central liaison, coordinating with freelance designers, global project managers, contract manufacturers, and key international teams. Your focus will be on ensuring new product development efforts are concentrated, well-coordinated, and meet both strict development timelines and core profitability goals. Join us to directly shape a market-leading brand's success

What You Will Do:

• Work collaboratively with product design, packaging design, marketing, licensing, and other internal team partners to create a product that is the best fit for the brand
• Drive day-to-day line development for assigned brand(s) and manage key development milestones and financial objectives
• Analyze and evaluate sales data, understand the competition, and current industry trends to aid in product line architecture and development
• Conducts competitive and consumer analysis, understanding and applying toy trends and play patterns.
• Understand and identify retailer-specific channel strategies to create diverse product lines that satisfy the evolving needs of all global markets and retail channels
• Lead a cross-functional team to ensure best-in-class products with brand integrity, maintaining consistency in product, packaging, sales, and marketing communication.
• Utilize project management software for assigned projects
• Coordinate design approvals with respective licensors and/or stakeholders throughout the development process.
• Consistently follow up with brand and cross-functional teams to communicate project status, updates, issues, and opportunities to the broader organization.
• Evaluates the competitive landscape and industry trends to help drive strategic decisions around product development and customer execution.
• Analyze point-of-sale data by product line, SKU, and retailers to determine growth opportunities and new product segments.
• Provide consumer, category, and competitive insights and co-develop targeted retail exclusives plans, working closely with the Business Director in identifying new trends, product concepts, and development opportunities.
• Assist in brand and product strategies, including themes and positioning, for every product development season.
• Lead point of contact and communication with cross-functional teams for assigned brands throughout the brand planning and product development phase
• Ensures brand integrity and development schedules are kept on track.
• Collaborates in the creation and maintenance of brand decks and other sales materials.
• Ensure that all outsourced work is quoted in a timely fashion and approved prior to work performed.
• Help verify that potential expenditures are in line with the proposed development budget of the item and negotiate competitive pricing with vendors and external partners.
• Request and document 3D model costs, product unit costs and tooling costs as received from global Product Managers and suppliers.
• Ensure item master is accurate and updated on an ongoing basis (costing, factory info, product dimensions, etc).
• Interface with key vendors/suppliers and product managers to ensure a smooth business process.
• Work with Brand Management and Design Teams to coordinate the timely creation and placement of development, photography, and presentation models/samples.
• Verify necessary changes are communicated to the responsible party and executed, elevating concerns to the Product Manager, Sr Director of Product Development, SVP of Product Development, and Brand Team lead.
• Liaise with Brand Managers to build licensor relationships and coordinate design approvals with respective licensors and/or stakeholders throughout the development process by collaborating throughout development to achieve design and performance requirements while advising on costing, manufacturing, and scheduling parameters.
• Collaborate with Sales to plan and execute effective presentations.
• Stay up to date with compliance/ style guides/ approvals through internal systems and external communication.
• Provide timely feedback to cross-functional teams.
• Gather domestic and international field input on new and existing products.
• Solicit and incorporate sales input into the development of new products.
• Participate in key