Overview
Support in developing a comprehensive merchandise and collaboration strategy aligned with UNICEF’s brand identity, values, and target audience. Facilitate creative collaboration between artists, designers, and product development teams to produce unique, impactful merchandise concepts.
Tasks Summary
- Support in developing a comprehensive merchandise and collaboration strategy.
- Prepare market and trend analyses.
- Support in establishing campaign themes, storytelling angles, and merchandise objectives.
- Identify, vet, and onboard artists.
- Negotiate contracts, licensing agreements, and usage rights with artists.
- Facilitate creative collaboration between artists, designers, and product development teams.
- Identify potential brand partners.
- Develop partnership proposals, strategic pitches, creative decks, and impact narratives.
- Lead contract negotiations.
- Support in conducting due diligence and risk assessments.
- Coordinate co-design processes.
- Oversee the translation of artistic concepts into production-ready merchandise designs.
- Coordinate with graphic designers, product developers, and packaging specialists.
- Ensure all designs adhere to UNICEF’s brand guidelines, quality standards, and manufacturing requirements.
- Review, refine, and approve designs, packaging, and product specifications.
- Partner with UNICEF’s procurement team to manage relationships with approved vendors and manufacturers.
- Monitor production timelines, quality control, and cost efficiency.
- Ensure compliance with ethical manufacturing practices, sustainability requirements, and relevant safety regulations.
- Implement risk mitigation procedures.
- Develop and manage project timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
- Serve as a central liaison among artists, brands, designers, vendors, and internal UNICEF teams.
- Provide regular progress updates, reports, and decision-support materials.
- Maintain accurate documentation, workflow tracking, and approvals.
- Collaborate with marketing and communications teams.
- Support the development of launch plans, content calendars, promotional materials, and storytelling assets.
- Ensure artist and brand partner contributions are accurately represented, credited, and celebrated.
- Assist in coordinating cross-channel promotion.
- Support the definition of KPIs for merchandise and brand partnership initiatives.
- Track performance data, gather insights, and generate reports.
- Recommend improvements to product lines, strategies, or partnership models.
- Support forecasting, inventory planning, and long-term sales strategy.
- Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with artists, brands, agencies, and vendors.
- Explore opportunities for repeat collaborations, multi-year partnerships, or expanded product categories.
- Increase the awareness of UNICEF in brand and creative communities.
Experience Requirements
- At least 2 years of proven experience in merchandise development, creative production, brand collaborations, or related commercial/creative sectors
- Strong aesthetic sensibility with the ability to translate artistic concepts into commercially viable products.
- Familiarity with product sourcing, manufacturing processes, ethical production standards, and quality control.
- Working knowledge of intellectual property rights, licensing, and artist agreements.
- Strong project management capabilities, including the ability to manage multiple timelines and deliverables simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse creative personalities, partners, and stakeholders.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, resourceful, and capable of navigating production or operational challenges.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment while maintaining professionalism and quality standards.
Qualification Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Fine Arts, Design, Creative Industries, or related fields.
