Toy Project Manager - 12 month FTC

Job Description

TEAM: HAPPY MEAL DELIVERY TEAM
CLIENT: McDONALD’S GLOBAL FAMILY TEAM

ABOUT US

tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With 1,200+ employees across 26 countries, we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.

Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.

Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.

WHAT MATTERS THE MOST

Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.

tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.

At tms we believe that from day one our job is to prepare you, develop you, train you and invest in you so that while with us you will become ready to take on the next challenge better prepared than you thought possible.

So whether you’re here for a meeting, a project, or a career – be prepared to Leave Changed.

WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE

McDonald’s is a global icon. A truly amazing brand recognised the world over. However, with increased competition, tough economic times, increased consumer demand for sustainable solutions and competitors copying the winning Happy Meal formula, McDonald’s now has to deliver beyond the traditional toy in a box with more exciting, innovative and inspiring products.

That’s where we come in. McDonald’s is tms’s largest client and comprises over 40 account handlers and 20 in-house creative across the UK and Global Marketing teams. We work on everything from games promotions and sports sponsorship activation through to family marketing initiatives and are the sole production agency for Happy Meal toys.

Happy Meal is finding a new identity within not only the family eating out sector but also the ever-changing toy world; where product needs to be reactive, socially conscious, and sustainably focused. As the biggest toy manufacturer in the world, tms is at the forefront of this innovative path and is working to sculpt the toy landscape for the modern family. Not to be forgotten is our Happy Meal Readers program which now reaches hundreds of millions of kids globally every year through physical and digital content and is a key part of our family strategy.

This role’s primary focus will be the development and execution of toy programs for the Happy Meal brand to ensure we continually engage and connect with families.

As a Product Manager on the Happy Meal business, you will support the senior members of the team to deliver exemplary product that stays true to the strategic framework of the Happy Meal brand by working on a variety of aspects of toy development led from the London office. You will provide support and expertise to the entire team developing toy programs, particularly in relation to issue resolution where your product manufacturing knowledge and client relationships will be invaluable.

You will work across global programmes as well as local initiatives with a range of product solutions from plastic and plush to fibre and other more sustainable materials. This will involve working with many different internal teams across several offices as well as some of the biggest names in the toy industry including DreamWorks, Universal, Hasbro and Mattel to name a few. You will also manage the development and successful delivery of product packaging, adhering to processes and critical timings.

You’ll be part of a close-knit Delivery team whilst working on one of the biggest brands in the world, with a client marketing team who truly trust and respect our professional opinion, giving you genuine opportunity to make a difference. You will work closely with the McDonald’s Global marketing team, as well as several local market leads.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

As a Toy Product Manager for McDonald’s Happy Meal, you will be integral to delivering best-in-class product solutions. You will work with established processes to build close relationships with all the teams involved in developing a Happy Meal product from design, engineering, QA, and supply chain. You will be confident in taking responsibility for running the parts of each project that you are responsible for.

Digging deeper on the details

General Competencies

• You will thrive on taking ownership of your project responsibilities and helping to deliver market leading programs from concept to implementation, on time and within budget.
• You will be calm and level-headed, a confident communicator.
• You will be comfortable collaborating with others as you will be working in partnership with cross functional teams to deliver value to the client, on time, to scope and within budget.
• You will become an owner and advocate of our internal process at all stages of projects, ensuring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• You will be proactive and demonstrate your problem-solving abilities.

Building great client partnerships

• You will be able to develop strong relationships with McDonald’s client contacts (across multiple levels and across all functions).
• You will be able to demonstrate a solid understanding and passion for the toy industry, with the aim to create long lasting experiences for kids and families within the retail environment.

Strong Account Management

• You will be able to inspire the creative and account teams to ensure consistent, timely and excellent delivery of projects:
• Day to day management of resource making sure this is coordinated correctly and utilised
appropriately
• Adhering to timelines and processes
• Providing creative and strategic input to client presentations
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong attention to detail

The all-important numbers bit

• Managing the budgets, making sure these are up to date and include all relevant information
• Support London and Hong Kong finance teams on programme budgets and associated tasks

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE

Ideally you will have an experienced background in product development and the management of the product development process, with strong client-facing project management skills.

• Experience of working in a fast-paced product development environment with proven experience in delivering quality focused products
• Project management experience and a strong understanding of deadline adherence
• Good understanding of the production process and how this affects all areas of a business
• Stakeholder management is a must
• Highly organised, solution orientated with a strong attention to detail
• Good business and financial acumen
• A passion for insight driven work and family marketing
• Excellent presentation skills (writing, reviewing, and delivering) and ability to express ideas with clarity, confidence, and logical reasoning
• Work well under pressure with strong attention to detail
• A positive energy within a team, thriving on working under pressure and full of drive
• Proven ability to develop solutions that address our client’s business issues and opportunities
• Able to thrive on taking ownership of your projects and deliver best-in-class executions

If you have any questions about the job, we are open to discussing this role further, so please feel free to get in touch.

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