UK Retail Manager, Penguin Ventures

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Penguin Ventures, the licensing and consumer product team in Penguin Random House Children's UK, is looking for a UK Retail Manager join the team and lead the overall retail strategy.

About Penguin Ventures

We're off the page and on an adventure.

We take our iconic literary brands and characters: Peter Rabbit, The World of Eric Carle, The Snowman, Spot and Flower Fairies off the page and bring them to life via our licensing and consumer products programme. We connect with our audience and fans at every touch point - whether that's on products, at retail, part of promotions, across digital or through our comprehensive live experiences-we manage this all in house through our expert team.

The Opportunity

This role reports into to the Penguin Ventures Commercial Director and joins a wider team of 14.

You'll be responsible for leading on our UK retail relationships across new and existing retailers to increase our brand presence across both bricks and mortar and digital retailors. You'll be expected to sell-in and activate cross-category retail promotions and align these initiatives with our wider retail and marketing strategy, ensuring appropriate calendar placement across key trading periods.

The following outlines the three main areas of the role:

1. Retail Brand Development

• To grow existing and identify new retailers to work with
• Responsible for securing cross category retail support at key seasonal and relevant trading periods.
• To maximise exposure through co-funded owned and earned marketing/media placement including instore.
• To keep track of how our brands are performing, with a specific responsibility for identifying growth areas and sectors.
• To manage the retail budget

1. Retail Pitching

• To create pitch materials for retail including bespoke brand decks
• To be aware of our current licensee product offerings
• To think creatively and offer solutions to retailers in terms of product offering / product mix
• To pitch cross-category initiatives to retailers working with the creative team and category leads on appropriate sell in materials.

1. Retail Communication

• To be the main point of contact for retailers
• To provide timely updates to retailers on the brand licensing programmes for Ventures brands
• To create relevant retailer update reports as well as reports and presentations for the business internally
• To ensure the book trade sales and customs sales teams are updated on retail initiatives and opportunities to bring added value to the retail proposition

Key skills, knowledge and experience we're looking for

Whilst the role centres on our Children's brands, existing experience in the Children's space is not essential - we're even more interested in someone who brings proven UK retail management experience within a licensing environment. We'll need you to demonstrate that you have:

• Excellent knowledge of the retail and licensing industry; the key partners and relevant retailer buyers
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to pitch brands to retail buyers to secure buy-in, additional space or cross-category opportunities.
• Experience of retail operations and an excellent knowledge of the UK retail landscape

Exceptional organisational and planning skills with a proven track record of working with retailers either at a brand or category specific level is essential.

About Penguin:

We're the UK's largest publisher; made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. Our doors are open to all kinds of talent. In a constantly evolving industry, we work hard to stretch the definition of the word publisher. Here, you'll work with a breadth of talent who all play their part to make each of our books a success. Together, we make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.

How to apply: Please apply with your CV & Cover Letter by 23:59 on Monday 8th July. Virtual interviews will be scheduled for w/c 22nd July.

Salary: Circa £50,000 depending on how your skills and experience align with the role.

Competitive benefits package: Our people are the heart of our business, and we work hard to support a culture of responsibility and recognition.

Our benefits include:

• Financial - income protection, life assurance, childcare allowance
• Wellbeing - healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, health checks
• Lifestyle - enhanced parental leave, tech scheme,

For our full benefits list please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/what-we-offer/

Hybrid working: We're experimenting with a hybrid way of working that suits the needs of each team. While our offices across the UK are places to connect, collaborate and celebrate with colleagues, we recognise that flexibility around where you work is just as important. For this role we expect that you will come to our office in London three days a week.

The recruitment process: You can read about our recruitment process at https://www.penguinrandomhousecareers.co.uk/how-we-hire/

As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we're part of the offer an interview scheme. This is where disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role can opt in to get to the next recruitment stage. There may be some situations where volume of applicants means we can't take all eligible candidates to interview. We encourage you to tell us about any reasonable adjustments you may need by emailing PRHCareersUK@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk. Remember, you only need to share what you are comfortable to for us to support your request.

Please note, we are not able to accept agency CVs for this role. Any CVs sent speculatively will not be eligible for a fee.

Company: Penguin Books Limited

Country: United Kingdom

State/Region: London

City: London

Postal Code: SW11 7BW

Job ID: 267834

Date: 20 Jun 2024

Location: