Retail Sales Manager

Disney Parks and Resorts; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company is seeking a Retail Sales Manager in London to lead retail partnerships and drive commercial success across iconic brands. The candidate will contribute to strategic planning and develop relationships with key retail partners. Applicants should have a degree in a related field and experience in retail account management. The role offers competitive perks including annual leave and private medical insurance.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance & dental care

Free Park Entry

Disney Discounts

Excellent parental and guardian leave

Employee Resource Groups

Qualifications

• Proven ability to deliver Joint Business Plans.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Self-motivated and results-driven.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to delivering Accounts' Annual Operating Plan targets.
• Support effective action planning and prioritization.
• Build strong relationships with retail partners.

Skills

Retail account management

Commercial skills

Presentation skills

Negotiation skills

Financial literacy

Entrepreneurial ability

Education

Degree-level education in a related field

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Summary:

About The Role & Team

Step into the exciting world of Disney UK as a Retail Sales Manager, where your passion for building strong partnerships and driving commercial success will shape the future of our beloved brands. In this dynamic role, you'll lead the execution of innovative account strategies and franchise objectives across our key retail partners, actively seeking out new opportunities for growth within DCP's thriving business. From overseeing iconic franchises like Disney Princess and Frozen to championing our presence in major department stores and specialist channels, you'll be at the forefront of expanding Disney's magic across the UK retail landscape.

This is a permanent position located at our London office in Hammersmith, requiring four days of on-site attendance per week.

What You Will Do

• Contribute to delivering the Accounts' Annual Operating Plan (AOP) targets.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager to identify priorities by franchise and sub-category, and highlight any product or ranging gaps.
• Support effective action planning and prioritisation to ensure the product range aligns with franchise and brand ambitions.
• Work with franchise and category teams to address gaps, helping to build the right range and achieve objectives for all stakeholders.
• Shape briefs for the UK Marketing teams, ensuring objectives are aligned with broader franchise and category strategies.
• Act as the primary interface for Disney with external buying teams and collaborate with internal franchise and category experts to implement Joint Business Plans (JBPs) across all lines of business.
• Help develop three-way JBPs with key licensees and suppliers, fostering strong connections and ongoing dialogue.
• Work in partnership with licensees and retailers, ensuring open communication with wider retail leads for full engagement in trade planning.
• Build strong relationships with retail partners, developing a detailed understanding of their category strategies and associated key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Shape the DCP account strategy by demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of category and franchise objectives and goals, as reflected in the UK AOP.
• Build a data-informed understanding of accounts, their overall category and marketing strategies, and their KPIs.
• Develop robust relationships with buyers to encourage brand engagement and strengthen market position.
• Contribute to and influence the Customer Marketing strategy to ensure key initiatives are prioritised and delivered for accounts, supporting both sell-in and sell-out.
• Design scalable and measurable retail and marketing activations to contribute to the success of the UK P&L.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Degree-level education in a related field or equivalent experience in retail licensing
• Background in retail account management or buying, with an emphasis on collaborative partnerships
• Experience with FMCG, Hardlines, or Softlines categories is an asset
• Proven ability to deliver Joint Business Plans with both local and global partners
• Self-motivated, with strong entrepreneurial abilities
• Excellent presentation, communication, and influencing skills across diverse audiences
• Ability to develop and foster relationships both internally and externally, and collaborate across divisions
• Ability to succeed within a large, diverse corporate environment, understanding the dynamics and opportunities of a matrix organisation
• Results-driven and open to challenging existing processes, introducing innovative business practices, and taking informed risks
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills
• Financial literacy - able to interpret data and translate insights into actionable plans
• Adaptable and resilient in a dynamic, evolving environment
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Outstanding planning and organisational skills

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.

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.