Product Design & Development Associate

Job Summary:

About the Role & Team

Join Disney’s Product Design and Development team as a Product Design and Development Associate, where you will help bring Disney stories, characters and franchises to life through innovative, high-quality consumer products. This role will support the development of creative product concepts, trend-led design thinking and the product approval process across EMEA, working closely with licensees, Commercial teams and internal partners.

You will contribute to product ideation, market and trend research, creative asset guidance and design feedback, helping to ensure products are commercially relevant, brand-aligned and reflective of Disney’s high standards for creativity, quality and integrity. This is a great opportunity for someone with a passion for product, design and pop culture who enjoys working collaboratively in a fast-paced, creative environment.

Please include a Portfolio link or attachment when applying for the role.

This is a Fixed-term Contract role for 12 months, based in our London Hammersmith office, with an expectation to work onsite four days per week.

Values

You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values , acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

What You Will Do

• Research competitor activity, consumer behaviour, market examples and emerging product, graphic and pop culture trends to identify opportunities that support pitch development, category planning and future product direction.
• Support Product Design and Development ideation by creating mood boards, product mock-ups and basic 2D/3D pitch materials that bring together trend insight, Disney creative assets, style guide direction and commercial priorities.
• Provide design and trend input on licensee artwork and product submissions, helping to improve product quality, brand alignment and commercial relevance under manager or senior team guidance.
• Support new and existing licensees in using Disney’s brand guidelines, property portfolio, creative assets and approval systems responsibly, ensuring they have the right tools and context for high-quality product development.
• Manage product submissions through the Online Product Approval process, ensuring accurate routing, timely progression and compliance with global product integrity, legal and corporate requirements.
• Review basic product development outputs, flag quality, integrity or workflow issues, and apply feedback quickly to support continuous improvement and more efficient approval processes.
• Build positive working relationships with licensees, Commercial teams and other internal partners, communicating clearly to align product development with brand, franchise and commercial priorities.
• Contribute to regional, local and global projects by supporting design tasks, visual preparation, market research and ongoing knowledge of Disney characters, films, franchises and creative assets.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Previous experience in product design, product development, creative development or a related field.
• Strong awareness of product, graphic and consumer trends, with the ability to translate insights into commercially relevant product concepts for EMEA markets.
• Good understanding of category-specific materials, fabrics, colour, form, manufacturing techniques and graphic applications, with a strong eye for detail and product quality.
• Ability to create and communicate clear design briefs, product concepts and basic 2D/3D ideas using CAD, digital tools, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, MS Office or third-party design resources.
• Confident presenting design ideas and feedback to internal stakeholders and licensees, adapting communication style to support collaboration, alignment and problem solving.
• Able to interpret and apply brand guidelines, creative assets and style guides to support consistent, high-quality product development.
• Organised and detail-focused, with the ability to manage multiple product submissions, identify risks or inconsistencies, escalate appropriately and keep work progressing through approval systems.
• Able to prioritise and deliver product design and development tasks within defined timelines and budgets in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.
• Fluent written and spoken English for business; additional European languages are beneficial.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney Mosaic, Disney PRIDE, our disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.