About this role
The Opportunity:
We are seeking a commercially driven Associate Manager to lead Mattel’s Consumer Products agency model across Turkey and South Africa. This role will be accountable for the performance, governance and development of external agencies representing Mattel across all Consumer Products categories in the assigned markets. The Associate Manager will ensure agencies operate as strategic extensions of Mattel, translating regional priorities into robust market plans, building high-quality partner pipelines and delivering sustainable royalty, revenue and brand growth.
The Team:
Sitting within the EMEA Consumer Products organization, the Pan-European Markets (PEM) (Turkey, South Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Greece, the Balkans, and North Export) team leads the development and execution of Consumer Products strategy across a diverse portfolio of markets, business models and categories. The team builds and grows relationships with licensees, retailers, external agencies, distributors and other strategic partners, translating EMEA and global priorities into locally relevant growth plans. We work closely with the PEM Commercial Lead and Country Managers, as well as Global and EMEA Consumer Products, Franchise, Brand, Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Retail Franchise Development, Finance, Legal and Audit teams.
What Your Impact Will Be:
AGENCY LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE
- Act as Mattel’s primary relationship owner for external Consumer Products agencies in Turkey and South Africa.
- Set clear objectives, commercial targets, operating rhythms and performance expectations for each agency, aligned with PEM and EMEA priorities.
- Lead regular business reviews, pipeline discussions and performance evaluations, ensuring transparency, accountability and timely corrective action.
- Ensure agencies comply with Mattel policies, brand standards, approval processes, contractual obligations and reporting requirements.
MARKET STRATEGY & COMMERCIAL GROWTH
- Develop market-specific Consumer Products plans across all categories and brands, reflecting local consumer, retail, regulatory and route-to-market dynamics.
- Partner with agencies to identify category whitespace, recruit high-potential licensees and retailers, negotiate commercial opportunities and expand successful partnerships.
- Own market forecasts, royalty and revenue delivery, partner pipelines and risk management across the assigned territories.
- Use market, consumer and competitor insights to prioritize opportunities and build compelling growth recommendations.
COUNTRY & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
- Work closely with the PEM Commercial Lead and relevant Country Managers to integrate Consumer Products priorities into broader market strategies and customer plans.
- Act as the connection between agencies and EMEA Category, Franchise, Brand, Marketing, Product Development, Creative, Retail Franchise Development, Finance and Legal teams.
- Ensure local market opportunities and constraints are represented in PEM and EMEA planning, while maintaining consistency with global brand and category direction.
- Share best practices across agencies and markets to raise execution standards and accelerate growth.
RETAIL FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT (PEM)
- Directly lead the Franchise Retail Marketing in Turkey, and act as the PEM Franchise Retail Marketing lead for the rest of the PEM region, in direct connection with the relevant Consumer Products Team members.
- Build relationships with priority retailers and identify opportunities for cross-category franchise programs, exclusive propositions and brand-led activations.
- Create and pitch compelling retailer stories using Mattel brands, consumer insights and commercial opportunities.
- Partner with Country Managers and Commercial teams to improve product listings, shelf presence, retail execution and sell-through.
- Coordinate activation plans from concept through execution, ensuring alignment with retailer objectives and Mattel brand standards.
What We’re Looking For:
- 5+ years of experience in consumer products, licensing, commercial sales, agency management or a related field.
- Experience managing external agencies, distributors or market representatives across multiple territories.
- Strong knowledge of licensing processes, partner acquisition, negotiations, forecasting and contract governance.
- Commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to assess pipelines, manage targets and translate insights into action.
- Excellent influencing, relationship-management and communication skills across cultures and organizations.
- Ability to operate independently, manage complexity and hold external partners accountable while building trusted relationships.
- Experience in Turkey and South Africa, or comparable emerging and growth markets, is highly desirable.
- Degree in Business, Marketing or a relevant subject or equivalent experience
- Proven sales negotiation experience and commercial thinking mindset
- Fluency in Turkish and English is required.
What We Offer
- Gross annual salary range of TRY 2,680,000 – TRY 3,182,500
- Bonus scheme: Participation in Mattel Incentive Plan (MIP) with the target of 10% of base salary, payout is determined by company and individual performance results
- Paid time starting from 20 vacation days + 4 Mattel Days (company day off)
- Hybrid working set-up
- Commuting allowance or lease car (for eligible roles only)
- Meal allowance
- Sport allowance
- Employee assistance program: Access to Modern Health, Headspace, and Maven
- Health Insurance including dependents coverage
- Dental insurance
- Life insurance
- Toy discount
- Half day working option on Friday
- Seasonal gifts
- Family benefits program: 24 weeks off (for 1st caregiver) or 12 weeks off (for co-parent) fully paid on the arrival of new child, return to work program, path to parenthood, and family care leave
Mattel’s total compensation package is based on objective, gender-neutral criteria such as job grade, work location, relevant skills, and experience. This information is provided to enable informed and transparent consideration and negotiation of employment terms. If your profile is retained and we schedule an interview, we will share further details on Mattel Toys Trading Ltd Sirket’s total rewards package. Please note that (some of) the benefits above may change over time, due to changes in the company policy or in legislation. We will not ask about your previous salary history.
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How We Work:
We are a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors:
- We collaborate: Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
- We innovate: At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.