Manager, Licensing

We're looking for a Manager, Licensing to support the growth, category management, and day-to-day execution of a major consumer products licensing portfolio across gaming, entertainment, and culturally relevant brands. This role will serve as a key client-facing licensing and category management partner across assigned categories and regions. The Manager will help drive category strategy, partner management, business development, commercial reporting, and cross-functional execution, ensuring priorities are clearly managed and business opportunities move forward with discipline and strong judgment.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, commercially minded licensing operator with a strong understanding of the licensing ecosystem, client service, partner management, retail strategy, and category growth in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment. Category Management Own day-to-day category management across assigned licensing categories and regions, ensuring clear priorities, strong execution, and disciplined follow-through. Drive category strategy by identifying white space, consumer trends, retail opportunities, competitive benchmarks, and partner targets that support brand-right growth.

Maintain a strong understanding of licensing timelines, retail calendars, channel needs, pricing structures, launch requirements, and commercial priorities across assigned categories and markets. Prepare polished category materials, partner recommendations, sales decks, retail updates, line plan summaries, category insights, and strategic presentations. Own category reporting for assigned partners, translating licensee updates, sales data, product pipelines, and business development activity into clear insights for senior leadership and the client.

Client / Licensee Management Serve as a highly prepared client-facing partner, providing clear updates on strategy, partner activity, product pipelines, risks, opportunities, and recommended next steps. Manage licensee relationships across the full licensing lifecycle, including onboarding, retail planning, launch execution, royalty reporting, and ongoing account management. Build strong relationships with licensees, retailers, client stakeholders, and internal teams, serving as a trusted day-to-day point of contact.

Partner with licensees and product development teams to ensure commercial priorities, timelines, and client feedback are clearly communicated and actioned. Proactively identify issues, remove friction, escalate when needed, and recommend practical solutions that protect the client relationship and keep partners accountable. Business Development and Commercial Management Source, evaluate, and help secure high-quality licensing partners across priority categories and markets.

Track active and prospective deals, including partner status, contract terms, product pipelines, retail targets, milestones, marketing commitments, royalty obligations, and open business issues. Monitor royalty reports, sales performance, forecasts, minimum guarantees, sell-in updates, retail placement, and licensee performance to identify risks, opportunities, and required follow-ups. Manage cross-functional execution across legal, finance, operations, creative, product development, retail, and marketing to keep deals, reporting, approvals, and category priorities moving efficiently.

Support senior leadership in meeting divisional and client goals by operating with urgency, preparation, commercial judgment, ownership, and strong follow-through. #J-18808-Ljbffr