Product Design Manager - Entertainment

At TCC Global, we create innovative loyalty marketing solutions that drive customer engagement and strengthen brand loyalty for some of the world’s leading retailers. Our passionate team delivers exceptional results through precision execution, strong client partnerships, and seamless operational processes.

The Reward Design Manager – Entertainment leads our reward design function for licensed premiums, driving innovative and engaging products from concept through to final production. This role combines strategic leadership, creative direction, and emerging AI-powered tools and workflows to enhance ideation, accelerate development, and deliver exceptional product outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Design Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product designers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Provide clear creative direction, constructive feedback, and professional development support to team members.

• Oversee resource allocation, workload prioritisation, and project planning across multiple concurrent projects.

Product Strategy & Concept Development

• Drive the development of innovative toy and licensed premium concepts using a combination of traditional design thinking, prototyping, and AI-assisted ideation tools.

• Collaborate with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams to interpret briefs and translate them into commercially viable product solutions.

• Ensure all product concepts align with brand objectives, market trends, safety standards, and manufacturing capabilities.

Design & Development Oversight

• Oversee the creation of detailed 3D models, prototypes, and manufacturing-ready designs using CAD software and AI-enhanced design tools where appropriate.

• Review and approve design outputs to ensure quality, functionality, innovation, and cost-effectiveness.

• Guide teams through the full product development lifecycle from ideation through to production.

AI-Driven Innovation & Trend Analysis

• Champion the adoption of AI across reward design and development, identifying opportunities to enhance creativity, efficiency, and personalisation.

• Integrate AI-driven insights (consumer data, trend forecasting, demand signals) into product development strategies to inform decision-making.

• Explore and implement AI-enabled tools for design visualisation, rapid prototyping, cost modelling, and product optimisation.

• Drive continuous learning and capability building within the team to effectively utilise AI technologies in day-to-day development processes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with engineering, marketing, sourcing, packaging, and quality teams to ensure products meet commercial, technical, and regulatory requirements.

• Facilitate effective communication between departments and external stakeholders throughout development stages.

• Present concepts, product strategies, and design recommendations to senior leadership and clients.

Prototyping, Testing & Product Refinement

• Oversee mock-up development, play testing, and user feedback sessions to refine products and improve user experience.

• Drive iterative design improvements informed by testing outcomes, stakeholder feedback, and market insights.

Project & Workflow Management

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously within a fast-paced, client-driven environment, ensuring timelines, budgets, and quality standards are achieved.

• Implement and improve design processes, workflows, and best practices to maximise efficiency and innovation across the team.

Packaging Design

• Oversee or contribute to packaging concept development, including the use of AI tools for rapid visual exploration and concept generation.

The ideal candidate is an experienced design leader who can inspire and guide a team of designers, oversee multiple product development projects, and translate business and client objectives into commercially successful products. You will combine strong creative instincts with operational excellence, leveraging both traditional design methodologies and AI-assisted tools to optimise workflows and elevate design quality.

Must Have

• 5+ years of experience in product design within licensed products, premiums, toys, or consumer goods;

• Creative and strategic leadership that embraces emerging technology, particularly AI, as a tool to enhance design innovation and team capability;

• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to balance creativity, manufacturability, and market relevance in product development.

• Proactivity and flexible mindset to thrive in a fast-paced environment and confidently lead teams through evolving challenges and opportunities.

• Forward-thinking mindset with a passion for shaping innovative product development processes and bringing products successfully to market.

• Experience managing complex projects across multiple markets, ensuring delivery to timelines and quality standards.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions and regions.

• Strong understanding of AI tools and their practical application in concept development, design workflows, and operational efficiency.

• Strong communication, organisation, and problem-solving skills, with a proactive and results-driven approach.

• High level of accountability, adaptability, and resilience in a fast-paced environment.

• Fluent English; Italian is preferred but not mandatory.

Nice to have

• Experience in loyalty, licensed premiums, the toy industry, or related consumer product sectors will be highly regarded.

TCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered without distinction of age, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, or disability status.