Category Manager, Toys – Hardlines Toys, MENA

Job Description

Category Manager – Toys (MENA) | Disney

The Tone:
This is a fixed-term contract role at Disney, located in Dubai. Disney builds beloved stories and iconic franchises like Star Wars, Mickey & Friends, and Marvel. This role is crucial for shaping the future of our Hardlines Toys category in the MENA region, driving commercial success, and delighting fans through strategic partnerships and innovative product development. You will unlock new opportunities, elevate our brands, and make a lasting impact where magic meets business.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Contract
• Location: In-person, Dubai, Dubai

• Team: Partners with Senior Category Manager and Category Director
• Mission: Owns the long-term vision and annual growth for Disney’s Hardlines Toys category in MENA to drive commercial success and elevate brands and delight fans.
• Tech Stack: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote

What You’ll Actually Do
• Shape long-term vision: Partner with senior leadership to develop the future and annual operating plan for Disney’s Hardlines Toys in the MENA region, collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Drive commercial growth: Implement effective strategies using market trends, commercial expertise, and consumer insights to seize opportunities and achieve financial objectives for Hardlines Toys.
• Manage licensee relationships: Cultivate strategic alliances with new and existing partners, leading joint business planning and regional contract negotiations for designated Hardlines Toys accounts.
• Guide product and marketing: Collaborate with creative and global interactive teams to direct Hardlines Toys product development and support marketing campaigns that bring Disney magic to fans.
• Ensure ethical standards: Champion the International Labour Standards (ILS) process, acting as a vital link between Hardlines Toys suppliers and Disney’s ILS team to uphold company values.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Degree level education in a related field or equivalent work experience; experience within the consumer products business.
• Experience: Proven track record of building effective relationships, leading change, and collaborating across departments to achieve financial targets and joint goals. Proven experience developing the performance of a team.
• Skills: Financial acumen to translate numbers into actionable plans; ability to analyze data, draw conclusions, and implement recommendations; excellent commercial and strategic approaches to problem-solving; strong influencing skills with ability to achieve buy-in at all levels; cultural sensitivity and understanding of local markets across MENA; fluent written and spoken English.
• Bonus: Arabic language skills; other European languages.