VP, Product, Retail

Jobtailor

Leavesden

On-site

GBP 150,000 - 190,000

Full time

7 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

Stand out for this role — generate a tailored resume and cover letter in about a minute.

Get past ATS filters

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

Shape and deliver product strategy across Buying, Merchandising, Design and Product Compliance for WBD Global Experiences
Lead the end-to-end retail product ecosystem across studio tours, flagship stores, pop-ups, e-commerce and Location Based Entertainment
Translate Warner Bros. Discovery 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, price sensitivity and conversion 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

Requirements

Extensive, senior leadership experience in global retail product, buying, or merchandising, including major High Street, multi-sited operations
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)
Strategic, commercially driven and decisive
Deep respect for creative storytelling, brand integrity and guest experience
Comfortable operating in complex, matrixed global organizations
Collaborative, influential and confident at executive and board level
Passionate about fan engagement and immersive branded experiences

Core Competencies

Demonstrates extensive leadership in global retail product strategy, buying, and merchandising, with a strong focus on driving revenue and ensuring product compliance. Capable of leading multidisciplinary teams while maintaining brand integrity and guest experience across diverse markets.

Highest-signal resume keywords