Product Design and Development Associate - Food

Job ID 10109401 Location London, United Kingdom Business Disney Experiences Date posted Feb. 11, 2025

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Job Summary:

About The Role & Team

As a key member of Disney's Product Design and Development Food, you will play a crucial role in bringing the magic of Disney to life through innovative and trend-setting products. You will be responsible for developing brand-right products for licensees and Direct-to-Retail (DTR) partners, ensuring they reflect the beloved Disney characters, stories, and heritage. This role involves providing technical product design direction, inspiration, and support, while executing the product design, development, and approval process for the relevant category. You will ensure that all product submissions adhere to Disney's global product integrity guidelines and are routed through the Online Product Approval (OPA) system in a timely manner, maintaining the high standards synonymous with the Disney brand.

This is a full-time role based in our London office in Hammersmith, 4 days a week.

What You Will You Do

Efficiently manage the approval process from initiation to production, ensuring all product submissions are routed through Disney’s Online Product Approval (OPA) system in line with global product integrity guidelines.
Provide inclusive product design and trend direction, inspiration, and constructive feedback to licensees on both 2D and 3D product submissions to enhance product quality.
Develop and implement innovative Food and FMCG product designs that align with Disney's brand values and market trends.
Collaborate with Food and FMCG licensees to ensure product designs meet industry standards and consumer expectations.
Train and support all new and existing licensees on the Disney brand, property portfolio, creative assets, and approval systems.
Ensure licensees have access to the appropriate creative assets for product development.
Foster and maintain positive working relationships with licensees and other internal and external stakeholders.
Create engaging product pitches, new product design visuals, and dedicated core design mock-ups under the guidance of the Senior Product Design and Development Manager/Product Design and Development Manager.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of Disney’s characters, films, properties, heritage, and creative assets to assist in their application on consumer products.
Support the wider team at regional, local, and global levels as needed, including participation in design projects as directed.
Ensure all products comply with corporate policies and relevant legislation.
Stay up-to-date with contemporary product design and graphic trends, leading brands, and relevant pop culture.
Participate in ‘inspiration’ trips to broaden understanding of the EMEA marketplace, seeking out new ideas and creative solutions to drive innovation and creativity.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Stay informed about industry trends and the broader world of design, with a solid understanding of common manufacturing techniques and their application in production.
Communicate clear product design briefs and basic design ideas using CAD drawing, computer techniques, and/or third-party design resources.
Possess experience or a strong interest in Food and FMCG product design and development.
Deliver projects within set deadlines and budgets as directed.
Demonstrate strong design and conceptual skills.
Present design ideas effectively to internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
Have a good grasp of production techniques and graphic applications, with an eye for color and shape.
Influence and support change among stakeholders.
Proficient in written and spoken English for business use; knowledge of other European languages is beneficial.
Be computer literate, including proficiency in Mac OSX, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and MS Office.
Exhibit cultural sensitivity and an understanding of local markets across EMEA.
Hold a degree in a related field (e.g., product design) or possess equivalent experience in a lifestyle product company.
Demonstrate proven commercial product development experience in relevant categories or in a product design role at a licensee, retail head office, or supplier.
Have some packaging experience and an understanding of style guides for the Online Product Approval (OPA) system (desirable).
Exhibit proven experience in creating prototypes or models.

The Perks

25 days annual leave
Private medical insurance & dental care
Free Park Entry: the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
Disney Discounts: entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
Excellent parental and guardian leave
Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, our new disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

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About Disney Experiences:

Disney Experiences brings the magic of Disney stories and franchises to life through theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, unique vacation experiences, products and more around the world. Disney shines in the travel industry with six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Plus, Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across all platforms; and Disney store locations around the world and on the web.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with The Walt Disney Company Limited, which is part of a business we call Disney Experiences.

The Walt Disney Company Limited is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, colour, religion or belief, sex, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, disability or pregnancy or maternity. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

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Explore this Location EMEA

Disney EMEA aims to drive growth, innovation and brand affinity across an extremely diverse collection of countries with a team of over 6,000 employees operating in 59 markets with offices in 29 countries.