Franchise Emea Manager

Role overview - TEMP Manager, Franchise EMEA

Contract / commercial

• 12-month contract
• 342.04/day umbrella
• Hiring manager confirmed this is the maximum rate, and suppliers should not submit every candidate at the maximum.
• Urgent requirement - they want to move as quickly as possible.
• Notice period is a consideration:
  • 1 2 weeks: acceptable
  • A few weeks: potentially acceptable
  • 1 month: difficult
  • More than 1 month: unlikely unless the candidate is exceptionally strong and alternatives are limited.

Team / scope

• New EMEA Franchise Management team, launched around 4 months ago.
• Team of 7, distributed across Paris, Germany, Spain, Italy and Nordics.
• This role is the UK-based franchise lead, working across the wider EMEA organisation.
• Main franchises: Harry Potter, DC and Animation, including Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo.
• Highly cross-divisional role, working with Theatrical, Home Entertainment, Content Licensing and other WBD businesses.
• UK is a key EMEA market, so they specifically need someone on the ground in London.

Location & working pattern

• London-based, but the exact office can vary depending on business needs.
• Potential locations include Old Street or Chiswick.
• 3 days per week in the office.
• No fixed office days confirmed.
• Candidate should be comfortable travelling between London WBD locations when required.
• Some meetings may require being physically present, particularly with UK-based teams.
• Interviews can be online; later-stage meetings could potentially be in person, but this isn't mandatory.

What will the person actually do?

This is not purely a strategic franchise strategy role. The Senior Franchise Manager in Nordics will own the broader strategic direction, while this person will be responsible for UK execution, stakeholder management and day-to-day franchise activity.

Likely activities include:

• Managing and coordinating franchise projects and activations across the UK.
• Working across multiple WBD divisions and stakeholders.
• Supporting/leading EMEA-wide projects where required.
• Project management around events and activations.
• Managing relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Working with social media owners, particularly coordinating with US/global teams.
• Ensuring global content/initiatives are culturally and commercially relevant to the UK market.
• Providing day-to-day franchise guidance within the framework established by the senior franchise manager.
• Attending key London meetings and representing the franchise team locally.
• Helping develop the team's operating model and ways of working, as this is still a relatively new EMEA function.

What I would screen for

I'd focus less on someone who is simply a "franchise manager" by title and more on someone who demonstrates:

1. Strong project management
   • Can manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, events and stakeholders.
2. Cross-functional stakeholder management
   • Comfortable working with different business units rather than sitting within one function.
3. Brand / franchise / entertainment experience
   • Experience around IP, brands, media, entertainment, consumer products, licensing, content or similar would be useful.
4. International / EMEA exposure
   • Particularly someone who has worked with global/US stakeholders and translated global strategies into local-market execution.
5. UK market understanding
   • Ability to understand what works for UK audiences while remaining aligned with global brand direction.
6. Social/digital understanding
   • Experience managing or coordinating social/content activity would be valuable.
7. Highly adaptable
   • The hiring manager specifically indicated that the work can change significantly from week to week.

Interview process

The original process was 4 rounds, but they're trying to consolidate it:

• Round 1: Hiring manager
• Round 2: Two close team members
• These may potentially be combined into one interview.
• Rounds 3 & 4: Senior stakeholders/management, primarily for the top 2 3 candidates.
• Therefore, realistically 3 stages, potentially fewer if they consolidate further.
• No significant interview preparation required - mainly discussion around experience and background.

Ideal candidate profile in one sentence

London-based franchise/brand/project management professional with experience in media, entertainment, consumer brands, licensing or a similar environment, who can coordinate complex cross-functional projects, manage senior stakeholders, work with global/US teams and translate broader franchise strategy into UK-market execution.

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