Brand Manager - Action Figures, Plush & Imaginext

Company Description

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It’s our heritage and it’s also our future. Because we don’t just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

Job Description

The Opportunity:

The Brand Manager, Action Figures, Plush & Imaginext, is responsible for translating global and EMEA Commercial Marketing priorities into locally relevant business, marketing and commercial plans across Poland and selected CEE markets.

This role acts as the local category owner, ensuring that brand strategies, product plans, launch priorities, retail narratives and consumer programmes are executed effectively to drive revenue, market share and brand growth. The position supports both licensed and owned brands and serves as the key link between regional strategy and local execution.

Key Partners:

• Global Marketing Activation, Brand Teams
• Country leadership and local Sales teams
• Omnichannel Retail Marketing
• Demand Planning and Supply Chain
• Finance and Consumer Insights
• Creative, content, media and activation agencies
• Licensing partners and local licensor offices

What Your Impact Will Be:

1. Category Strategy and Local Market Planning

• Execute EMEA category priorities and global brand strategies across Poland and selected CEE markets.
• Develop local commercial marketing plans aligned with EMEA growth objectives and market realities.
• Translate franchise priorities, launch calendars and campaign moments into clear, locally relevant action plans.
• Maintain alignment between category objectives, product priorities, marketing plans and commercial goals.
• Consolidate local market intelligence and provide actionable recommendations to EMEA leadership.
• Identify growth opportunities, competitive threats, demand risks and market-specific requirements early.

1. Product and Portfolio Management

• Provide local market input on product relevance, assortment requirements, launch timing, pricing realities, retail opportunities and consumer needs.
• Partner with EMEA Marketing Activation team to support portfolio decisions and local line plan refinement.
• Identify assortment gaps and recommend actions to maximise category performance.
• Participate in forecasting, business reviews and line planning processes.
• Ensure product launch readiness and escalate major risks relating to product, timing, price, approvals or execution.

1. Marketing Planning and Campaign Execution

• Develop and execute annual marketing and activation plans for Action Figures, Plush and Imaginext.
• Lead the local implementation of EMEA campaigns and key franchise activations.
• Adapt global content and assets to local consumer, cultural, linguistic, media, legal and regulatory requirements.
• Define local launch plans, campaign phasing, media needs, asset requirements and execution priorities.
• Manage agencies and external partners to deliver high-quality work on time, on budget and in line with brand and licensor guidelines.
• Track campaign performance, capture learnings and recommend optimisation actions.

1. Retailer and Customer Engagement

• Partner with Sales and Omnichannel Retail Marketing to create compelling, retailer-ready brand and category stories.
• Develop or support customer presentations, launch narratives, category arguments and sell-in materials.
• Support customer meetings, toy fairs, previews, summits, top-to-top meetings and local market events.
• Ensure product messaging, marketing support and customer-facing materials are aligned.
• Capture retailer and customer feedback and feed it into local, EMEA and global planning.

1. Retail Activation and Shopper Marketing

• Partner with Omnichannel Retail Marketing to translate brand priorities into effective shopper and retailer execution.
• Support displays, merchandising programmes, digital retail content, shopper campaigns, retail media and e-commerce programmes.
• Ensure that assets and toolkits are ready for local execution.
• Monitor retail readiness and flag risks relating to asset availability, retailer timing, compliance o…