Global Retail Product Lead: IP, Licensing & Experiences

Jobtailor; Leavesden; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Warner Bros. Discovery in Leavesden, United Kingdom, seeks an accomplished senior leader to shape and deliver the global retail product strategy across Buying, Merchandising, Design and Compliance.

You will oversee the end-to-end retail product ecosystem spanning studio tours, flagship stores, pop-ups and e-commerce, aligning IP with brand-authentic consumer products. You will drive revenue and margin growth while ensuring product safety, sustainability, and guest experience.

Qualifications

• Extensive, senior leadership experience in global retail product, buying, or merchandising.
• Proven executive oversight of Buying, Merchandising, Design and Product Compliance at scale.
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of driving profitable, IP-led retail businesses.
• Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams across North America, EMEA and APAC.
• Deep understanding of global product safety, testing, regulatory standards and quality assurance.
• Experience within entertainment, media, themed attractions, or licensed consumer products (strongly preferred).
• Familiarity with owned retail, licensed, JV and third-party operating models (strongly preferred).
• Experience aligning product strategies to content calendars, franchise launches and major brand moments (strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated leadership in sustainability and responsible sourcing (strongly preferred).

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver product strategy across Buying, Merchandising, Design and Compliance for Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences.
• Lead the end-to-end retail product ecosystem across studio tours, flagship stores, pop-ups, e-commerce and Location Based Entertainment.
• Translate franchises and IP into commercially successful, brand-authentic consumer products.
• Lead buying, merchandising and assortment strategy across standalone retail, e-commerce and exit retail.
• Craft channel-specific product strategies based on guest mindsets, dwell times and price dynamics.
• Define frameworks for exclusive, limited-edition and venue-specific product creation.
• Partner with Design to commission and deliver custom-built product ranges.
• Establish global assortment architectures and geo-specific ranges.
• Lead merchandise planning, demand forecasting, open-to-buy and SKU productivity.
• Drive revenue, margin, sell-through and inventory efficiency using analytics and guest insight.
• Oversee global design and product development teams.
• Balance creative excellence with speed-to-market, cost discipline, quality and scalability.
• Define policies and processes for global product compliance, safety, testing and ethical sourcing.
• Partner with Legal, EHS, Supply Chain and third-party testing bodies to mitigate risk and ensure market readiness.
• Build, inspire and lead high-performing teams across Buying, Merchandising, Design and Compliance, including Director- and Senior Director-level direct reports.
• Partner with Franchise, Licensing, Marketing, Retail Operations and external licensees.
• Collaborate across the Retail leadership team.
• Deliver sustained retail revenue, margin and inventory efficiency growth.
• Achieve high guest satisfaction, conversion and product attachment rates.
• Maintain strong global compliance outcomes with minimal product risk.
• Ensure creative excellence and franchise alignment across product ranges.
• Build a scalable, resilient global product organization with strong succession planning.

Skills

Global Retail Strategy

Buying & Merchandising Leadership

Product Compliance

Team Leadership

IP-Led Retail

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing

Executive Stakeholder Management

Job description

Warner Bros. Discovery in Leavesden, United Kingdom, seeks an accomplished senior leader to shape and deliver the global retail product strategy across Buying, Merchandising, Design and Compliance.

You will oversee the end-to-end retail product ecosystem spanning studio tours, flagship stores, pop-ups and e-commerce, aligning IP with brand-authentic consumer products. You will drive revenue and margin growth while ensuring product safety, sustainability, and guest experience.