At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead franchise strategy for iconic brands like Warrior Cats and Beast Quest.
- Company: Join Coolabi, a dynamic kids' entertainment company with global reach.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and a chance to shape the future of entertainment.
- Other info: Collaborate with senior leaders and make a real impact on beloved IPs.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of building modern franchises in an entrepreneurial environment.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in media or entertainment with strong strategic and commercial skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About Coolabi
Coolabi is a leading, PE-backed Kids & Family entertainment company focused on building publishing-led IP into global multi-platform franchises. Its portfolio includes globally recognised brands, spanning publishing, television, digital, gaming, licensing and consumer products. Warrior Cats has sold 90m+ books, has the 4th biggest branded game on Roblox of all time with 730m plays, and is currently rolling out its first toy range across Walmart, Target, and other retailers. In the US in 2025, Warrior Cats graphic novels were the #1 and #5 bestselling Kids & Young Adults paperbacks of the year (frontlist titles). A new animated Warrior Cats series has just been greenlit with Tencent Video. Meanwhile, Beast Quest has sold 20m+ copies, is relaunching with a new publishing partner in 2027, and has a major animated TV series in advanced development. In addition to these flagship brands, Coolabi has over 200 additional IPs in its stable. Our latest property to be adapted for TV is the Lady Grace Mysteries, which launched on the BBC in May 2026. The business is entering a major new growth phase, with investment in franchise expansion across television, gaming, digital audience development and global licensing.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a commercially minded and strategically driven Head of Franchise Strategy to help shape the future growth of Coolabi’s key franchises. This is a high-impact cross-functional role sitting at the centre of the company’s franchise strategy. Working closely with the CEO and senior leadership team, the role will help define long-term franchise roadmaps, identify new growth opportunities, deepen audience understanding, and align publishing, television, digital, gaming and licensing initiatives around a coherent strategic vision. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking, commercial awareness, audience insight and strong communication skills. They will act as both the internal voice of the fan and a strategic growth architect for the business’s major IP. This role is ideal for someone excited by the challenge of helping build modern entertainment franchises in an entrepreneurial, ambitious and highly collaborative environment.
Reporting Structure
Reports directly to the CEO. This is a cross-functional role working closely with senior leaders across books, consumer products, television, digital, and finance.
Role Purpose
To lead the strategic development and long-term growth planning of Coolabi’s core franchises, beginning with Warrior Cats and Beast Quest. The role will develop a deep understanding of franchise audiences, market opportunities and brand performance, using insight and data to help shape growth strategy across publishing, digital, television, gaming and consumer products. Working closely with senior leadership, the Head of Franchise Strategy will act as a central strategic integrator across the business, ensuring all franchise activity contributes to a coherent long-term vision and growth plan.
Responsibilities
- Franchise Roadmap & Strategic Direction
- Develop and maintain 3–5 year franchise roadmaps
- Define priority growth pillars by brand
- Sequence publishing, licensing, digital and TV initiatives coherently
- Identify white space opportunities across categories and platforms
- Lead quarterly franchise strategy reviews
- Brand Narrative & Franchise Articulation
- Own master brand decks for each franchise
- Define and maintain clear articulation of brand pillars/values, audience positioning and growth narrative
- Ensure consistency across all external presentations
- Support leadership team in partner meetings and pitches
- Represent the full franchise vision in strategic conversations
- Fan Insight & Audience Health
- Commission rolling brand tracker research
- Conduct regular focus groups
- Analyse sentiment and engagement data
- Identify shifts in audience behaviour
- Integrate insight into roadmap and growth planning
- Growth Opportunity Identification & Development
- Market & Competitive Intelligence
- Monitor peer franchise activity across publishing, gaming, digital and licensing
- Track emerging platform trends
- Identify category adjacencies and expansion opportunities
- Surface early signals in international markets
- Proactive Partner Identification
- Identify potential strategic partners across digital platforms, gaming studios, media producers, and international distributors
- Work with Directors to shape pitches and partnership frameworks
- Support senior negotiations with strategic context
- International Growth Strategy:
- Develop territory prioritisation plans and identify under-penetrated markets
- Align local publishing, licensing and digital activation strategies
- Work with commercial teams to drive coordinated territory plans
- Franchise Data & Financial Intelligence
- Work with the Finance team to maintain consolidated P&Ls by franchise across all revenue streams
- Analyse margin by territory and category
- Identify revenue acceleration and margin expansion opportunities
- Highlight investment cases for Board discussion
- Bring together data and KPIs from publishing, digital, licensing and gaming to build a unified view of franchise performance, including franchise-level dashboards integrating sales data, digital performance, licensing results and territory metrics
- Identify correlations, growth drivers and leading indicators of franchise health
- Provide regular reporting to CEO and Board
- Cross-Functional Integration & Alignment
- Act as a central integrator across the business, aligning functional initiatives against the franchise roadmap
- Surface conflicts or trade-offs to the CEO
Ideal Candidate Profile
We are looking for someone who combines commercial and strategic thinking with a genuine passion for entertainment IP and fan culture. The ideal candidate may come from:
- Franchise strategy or franchise management within a studio, entertainment or gaming business
- Entertainment, gaming or media consulting
- Multi-platform IP or brand strategy roles
- Consumer products or licensing strategy
- Audience, fan or category strategy within an IP-led business
This role is not a social media or community management position. It is a strategic franchise growth role focused on long-term IP value creation.
Experience Required
- Significant experience in media, entertainment or consumer IP, typically 8+ years
- Experience working across multiple revenue streams
- Experience building franchise roadmaps or brand growth plans
- Strong commercial and financial literacy
- Comfortable analysing market trends and competitor activity
- Experience commissioning or interpreting consumer research
- Strong presentation and influencing skills
- Comfortable operating in matrix structures
Practical Details/Package
Competitive senior-level salary plus bonus. Hybrid working, based in London.
Application process
To apply, please submit: A CV/resume and a short covering note outlining your interest in the role and relevant experience. Applications should be sent to [email]. Shortlisted candidates will progress through a multi-stage interview process. Please note that Coolabi is managing this recruitment process directly and is not currently seeking support from recruitment agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited candidate submissions from third parties will be treated as direct applications.
Head of Franchise Strategy in London employer: Coolabi Group
Coolabi is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and collaborative work culture, perfect for those passionate about building iconic entertainment franchises. With a focus on employee growth and development, the company offers competitive salaries, hybrid working options, and the opportunity to work at the forefront of the Kids & Family entertainment industry in London. Join us to be part of a team that values creativity, strategic thinking, and a genuine love for storytelling, while contributing to the success of beloved brands like Warrior Cats and Beast Quest.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Franchise Strategy in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its franchises. Understand their audience and market trends. This will help you showcase your strategic thinking and passion for their IP during the interview.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to articulate your vision for franchise growth and how you can contribute to Coolabi's success. Tailor your examples to show how your experience aligns with their goals.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Coolabi team.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Franchise Strategy in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Craft a Compelling Covering Note:Your covering note is your chance to shine! Keep it short and sweet, but make sure to highlight why you're the perfect fit for the Head of Franchise Strategy role. Show us your passion for entertainment IP and how your experience aligns with our goals.
Tailor Your CV:Don’t just send us a generic CV! Tailor it to showcase your relevant experience in franchise strategy and your understanding of the kids and family entertainment sector. We want to see how your skills can help shape the future of Coolabi’s franchises.
Showcase Your Strategic Thinking:In your application, give us a glimpse of your strategic mindset. Share examples of how you've developed franchise roadmaps or identified growth opportunities in previous roles. We’re looking for someone who can think big and act strategically!
Apply Through Our Website:Make sure to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Coolabi team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Coolabi Group
✨Know Your Franchises Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into Coolabi's key franchises like Warrior Cats and Beast Quest. Understand their market performance, audience demographics, and recent developments. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your passion and strategic insight during discussions.
✨Prepare Your Strategic Vision
Think about how you would develop a 3–5 year roadmap for franchise growth. Be ready to discuss potential growth pillars and white space opportunities. This shows that you can think strategically and align with the company's long-term vision.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Be prepared to talk about how you would use data and consumer insights to shape franchise strategies. Bring examples of how you've previously analysed market trends or audience behaviour to drive growth. This will highlight your commercial awareness and analytical prowess.
✨Practice Your Presentation Skills
Since this role involves influencing senior leaders and partners, practice articulating your ideas clearly and confidently. Prepare a mock presentation on a franchise strategy topic, focusing on clarity and engagement. This will help you stand out as a strong communicator.
