Junior Category Manager

ROLE PURPOSE

Responsibilities

• Build and develop strategic plan for own categories once a year; Home, FHB and Promotion.
• Align category strategy with regional licensor strategy if given.
• On-going analysis of business opportunities in the market on category, country, sub- category level.
• Once a year as minimum update category GAP analysis.
• Prepare business reviews for internal use or licensor’s visits.
• Utilize business development and reporting mechanisms to keep Management Team updated.

• Responsible for driving new business development in traditional and non-traditional categories as well as focusing on ‘creative licensing’ taking brands into relevant, innovative categories through creative thinking, commercial initiatives and the development of co-branded licenses and brand extension.
• Creating and maintaining a pipeline list of prospects.
• Find right contact and connect, evaluate and decide on best approach.
• Analyse potential prospects, build a business case and proposition: NLC Solution Selling.
• Pitch for meetings and execute presentation.
• If yes then negotiate deal, if no then review and decide on follow up if relevant later.
• Share ideas and connections with colleagues where relevant to them and NLC.
• Attend agreed category fairs during the year and BLE in London. Responsible for preparation before fairs and follow up with internal and external partners.

• Contract negotiations.
• Acting effectively as license’s brand manager, as an extension of their team and managing the viability of product design and development with the for existing and new properties.
• Development of current and new product ranges and additional product areas.
• Partnering with the licensee’s for mutual benefit; a balanced mix of meetings, calls and written correspondence.
• Constantly update licensees on their property portfolio as well as pitch new relevant properties to them.
• Collection business updates including business plans/budgets and forecast.
• Take lead on any regional accounts managed and proactively share updates with licensor and other regions.

• Act as Ambassador for our licensor’s properties.
• Be updated and seek knowledge about properties and upcoming brand activities.
• Build and present brand presentations adjusted to the audience and the licensee.

• Responsible for category budget and owner of numbers. NLC budget built once a year.
• Support with collection of licensee forecast 4 times a year. Making sure licensees are uploading their forecast in Warner Bros. Discovery Seeker system.
• Responsible for updating forecasts on Warner Bros. Discovery for their internal budget and forecast process. Follow up on accrual and management adjustment request.
• Support NLC finance in correspondence about commercial questions/doubt/issues towards both licensee as well as licensor contact if needed. Take over if needed.

• Draft deal memos based on business plans and negotiations.
• Build and maintain contract term knowledge.
• Collect and fill in any additional documents required for deal upload/approvals with licensor like local approvals.
• Support NLC contract admin in correspondence about commercial questions/doubt/issues towards both licensee as well as licensor contact if needed. Take over when needed.
• Update the weekly document and participate in NLC Weekly call’s.

About NLC