Director of Licensing

Pets+People Consumer Products; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Pets + People Consumer Products is seeking a Director of Licensing to shape portfolio strategy and lead licensing initiatives across our consumer brands. You’ll partner with the VP of Licensing to identify opportunities, build compelling business cases, and drive high-value collaborations that align with strategic priorities.

The role requires a data-informed approach, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to manage cross-functional teams to deliver measurable commercial results.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of licensing and brand partnerships experience.
• Strong strategic and analytical orientation with ability to translate metrics into business actions.
• Proven negotiation and contract-management skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building across stakeholders.
• Leadership experience coaching and developing teams.
• Knowledge of intellectual property, brand standards, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive licensing strategy aligned with brand priorities and portfolio growth.
• Identify whitespace, category expansion, and partnership opportunities to maximize brand value.
• Translate priorities into actionable partnership roadmaps and balanced short/long-term plans.
• Establish disciplined metrics to track partnership performance against budgets and targets.
• Lead negotiations with licensing partners to secure favorable terms and protect brand standards.
• Oversee deal structures, execution, and ongoing compliance across the portfolio.
• Build relationships with licensors and brand partners to expand opportunities and drive growth.
• Collaborate with Sales and cross-functional teams on go-to-market strategies and initiatives.
• Mentor the licensing team to build capabilities in brand management and analytics.

Skills

Licensing & partnerships

Strategic analysis

Negotiation

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing

Job description

Full-Time | Hybrid — 3 Days In Office Required

Salary Range: $145,000–$165,000 annually

About Pets + People

At Pets + People, we build and grow consumer brands across pet, household, and adjacent categories through product innovation, licensing, and strategic brand partnerships.

As we expand our portfolio and market impact, we are seeking a Director of Licensing who can translate brand potential into disciplined growth, high-value partnerships, and measurable commercial results.

Position Overview

Reporting closely to the VP of Licensing, the Director of Licensing will help shape portfolio strategy and lead the execution of licensing initiatives across our brands.

This role blends strategic planning, analytics, business development, negotiation, partner management, and cross-functional leadership. The successful candidate will bring a data-informed perspective to where we invest, how we structure partnerships, and how we improve performance across the licensing portfolio.

What You'll Drive

• Develop and execute a comprehensive licensing strategy aligned with brand priorities and long-term portfolio growth.
• Assess whitespace, category expansion, and partnership opportunities to identify where new or expanded licensing relationships can create the greatest brand and business impact.
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable partnership roadmaps, balancing near-term opportunities with longer-term brand development.

Analytics, Forecasting & Performance Management

• Establish a disciplined view of partnership performance using relevant metrics and track results against sales budgets, goals, and established targets.
• Analyze performance trends to identify growth drivers, underperformance, risks, and opportunities for corrective action or incremental investment.
• Use forecasting, product lifecycle insights, and partner performance data to inform recommendations, prioritize resources, and strengthen decision-making.
• Translate analysis into clear insights and recommendations for the VP of Licensing and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Support the development of deal strategies and lead negotiations with licensing partners to secure strong business terms while protecting brand standards and strategic objectives.
• Evaluate partnership structures and trade-offs to support sound, commercially grounded decisions.
• Oversee contract execution and ongoing compliance.

Business Development & Partnership Leadership

• Build, deepen, and expand relationships with existing and prospective licensors and brand partners that align with strategic priorities.
• Create compelling, insight-led presentations and business cases to support new business development, partnership expansion, and strategic discussions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen existing partnerships, unlock new categories, and increase the value and reach of the brand portfolio.

Cross-functional Execution

• Partner with Sales and internal teams to develop and execute go-to-market strategies and secure new business opportunities.
• Create alignment across key stakeholders by clearly communicating priorities, performance, risks, decisions, and next steps.
• Help drive strategic and tactical improvements that increase executional efficiency and strengthen the connection between licensing strategy and commercial outcomes.
• Proactively identify brand, licensor, performance, or execution issues and drive timely resolution with appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain a strong focus on brand integrity, intellectual property requirements, and partner compliance while navigating competing priorities.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead and mentor the licensing team, building stronger capabilities in brand management, commercial thinking, analytics, and partnership management.
• Provide guidance across partner relations, product lifecycle management, forecasting, and day-to-day business decision-making.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in licensing and brand partnerships, particularly within consumer products.
• Strong strategic and analytical orientation, with demonstrated ability to connect performance metrics, budgets, and market opportunities to business decisions.
• Proven negotiation and contract management skills, with a track record of driving results while maintaining productive partner relationships.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience analyzing partnership and product performance, identifying actionable insights, and translating data into clear recommendations.
• Leadership experience with a focus on coaching and team development.
• Working knowledge of intellectual property regulations, brand standards, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically while maintaining strong executional discipline.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.