Sr Manager, Merchandising - Hardlines

About the role

The Senior Manager, Merchandising - Hardlines drives execution of the merchandise strategy and vision for 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.

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.
• Balances the art and the science of merchandising to find opportunities, elevate brand, and delight consumers.
• Monitors the global competitive landscape and consumer zeitgeist to capture opportunities.
• Champions products developed in collaboration with design teams to capitalize on trends, anticipate consumer demand, and drive product innovation.
• Manages consolidation of product needs from all regions and channels to develop one product brief ensuring needs of all businesses are met.
• Identifies commonality in consumer, customer, and market trends to minimize duplication/cannibalization; reduces complexity and increases productivity globally.
• Establishes perspective on what’s working and why to consistently improve the product line.
• Partners with Studio, Global Creative, and Marketing teams to bring content and IP to life with a consistent brand point of view globally.
• Partners with Product Design and Sourcing to deliver seasonal product lines for vertical and wholesale business models that meet business objectives, including sustainability goals.
• Identifies opportunities to leverage products, co-brands, and collaborations globally.
• Develops metrics and leads the team to deliver development counts, adoption KPIs, and COGs targets.
• Applies a thorough understanding of the development complexities inherent in 3D hardlines categories, including multi-step tooling, technical engineering, factory capability assessment, material choices, surface decoration techniques, and manufacturing lead times.
• Executes open-market and licensed line buying to supplement the vertical product development pipeline, sourcing commercially available product to fill assortment gaps, react to trends, or support key franchise moments.
• Evaluates vendor terms, exclusivity, and brand fit as part of the selection process.
• Executes the ideation, negotiation, and delivery of brand collaborations and co-branded product programs, ensuring all collaboration product meets Disney brand standards while delivering commercial impact and guest engagement.
• Executes product-focused events and activations that amplify the hardlines merchandise offering, including product reveals, collector drops, artist signings, fan conventions, and park-adjacent experiences.
• Executes merchant-initiated product development independent of the formal Product Design structure, authoring creative and technical product briefs and driving concept through commercialization.
• Manages the end-to-end product lifecycle, ensuring product development and sampling deliver against financial targets, innovation, sustainability, and regulatory requirements.
• Navigates and executes against the distinct technical and regulatory requirements of 3D product categories, including toy safety standards, age-grading, choking hazard assessments, and quality control protocols.
• Executes self-sourcing initiatives by identifying, evaluating, and onboarding new supplier partners.
• Integrates sustainability, material innovation, and regulatory requirements into product strategies in partnership with sourcing and production teams.
• Serves as a category and brand ambassador to cross-functional teams, demonstrating compelling, dynamic, and knowledgeable leadership.
• Builds compelling stories and creates solutions to drive category vision and grow sales.
• Manages conversations and activities with sourcing to cost the line and run financial scenarios.
• Leads conversations with design to create a product line through key milestone meetings.
• Actively manages communication and collaboration with key commercialization partners.
• Communicates a strong point of view on consumer, customer, and business across stakeholders and management.
• Leads through ambiguity.
• Manages direct reports with immediate feedback on performance and weekly touch bases to review deliverables, providing regular development and coaching.
• Builds, develops, and retains best-in-class merchant talent.
• Executes and manages simultaneous, overlapping hardlines product timelines within category, maintaining clarity on development milestones, lead times, approval gates, and delivery windows.
• Manages category operating budgets and financial plans, driving disciplined decision-making and scenario planning to achieve performance targets.

Qualifications

• 6-8+ years of progressive experience in Product Merchandising.
• Leadership and talent development abilities with 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.
• Successful experience working and thriving in a highly matrixed company structure.
• Strong team player – ability to build and foster collaborative partnerships across functions and departments.
• Ability to think creatively and disruptively to bring and infuse new ideas into product development.
• Ability to manage organizational and cultural change efforts needed to ensure new, innovative concepts, business practices, and technologies are fully adopted.
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing product-focused events or activations, including fan conventions, collector drops, artist signings, or product launch events.
• Demonstrated experience developing play pattern briefs and packaging intent strategies across 3D hardlines categories, with an understanding of how packaging format impacts consumer perception, purchase behavior, and collecting engagement.
• 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.
• 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.
• Experience self-sourcing and onboarding new supplier partners, including managing capability assessments, compliance and regulatory vetting, cost negotiation, and the full supplier setup process.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.

Benefits

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide.

Pay

The hiring range for this position based in Kissimmee, FL is $132,600.00-$177,700.00. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, depending on the level and position offered.