Licensing Director, Softlines & Collaborations

Gateway Licensing; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

WildBrain CPLG is a global licensing leader seeking a Licensing Director for Softlines and Collaborations. This hybrid role in NYC or LA will lead apparel, headwear, footwear, bags and accessories partnerships, driving social and digital engagement with top brands.

You will partner with Retail Development and Product Development to shape category strategies, go-to-market plans, and long-term retail roadmaps, while negotiating licenses and forecasting royalty revenue.

Qualifications

• Experience leading brand/product lines in licensing
• Marketing or sales experience in softlines categories
• Strong relationships with premium and luxury brands
• Knowledge of fashion/home retail, merchandising, licensing and contracts
• Proven leadership and persuasive presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment

Responsibilities

• Develop annual category strategies and identify licensees and new product introductions
• Lead quarterly business reviews with partners and negotiate contract terms
• Create product launch plans and set category direction via creative briefs
• Oversee licensee management, go-to-market plans and marketing plans
• Budget and forecast sales and royalty revenue; prepare quarterly performance reports

Skills

Brand management

Softlines marketing

Licensing knowledge

Premium brand relationships

Negotiation skills

Presentation skills

Project management

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Company Description

Location: LA or NYC

Hybrid work: Employees work in a hybrid model balancing collaboration in our office and remote work.

Compensation

Compensation: $130,000 - $140,000 (USD)

Overview

WildBrain CPLG is a world-leading entertainment, sport and brand licensing agency with 20 offices worldwide. Since 1972 we have been providing our partners with dedicated licensing and marketing professionals and fully integrated retail, creative & product development, legal and accounting services.

We are looking to add to our talented team of innovators that can help us manage some of the most profitable and enduring brands in the world! We believe that our partnerships are about clarity, openness, and trust, and we are widely known for our straightforward approach.

About the Role

The Licensing Director, Softlines and Collaborations is responsible for leading the softlines business, securing and managing the relationships in the softlines categories with a focus on apparel, headwear, footwear, bags & accessories, soft home and buzzworthy collaborations which focus on driving social and digital headlines and strong consumer engagement. Developing all product category strategies, go to market marketing as well as partnering with the Retail Development and Product Development to develop near and long-term retail strategies and product roadmaps.

Job Description

What You’ll Do

Category Management / Product Development

• Develop annual category strategies; identify and outline with licensee continuing and new product introductions
• Implement quarterly business reviews with partners to ensure objectives are being met
• Develop product launch plans to leverage market opportunities, determining category/product line direction via creative brief.

Category Growth

Develop comprehensive category growth strategies, including analyzing current business and competitive environment, evaluating product trends, defining positioning within category, gathering secondary market research.

• Target and analyze potential softlines licensees and collaboration partners, evaluating licensee structure, retail relationships and product design capabilities.
• Oversee new contract negotiations ensuring terms meet the Licensor requirements and overall business objectives
• Identifying premium and luxury brand partners

Licensee Management

• Partner with licensees in creating annual business plans/reviews, go-to-market plans and quarterly marketing plans.
• Oversee all contract negotiation for renewals and monitor licensee in fulfilling contractual obligations.

Financial

• Budget and forecast sales and royalty revenue.
• Recap quarterly performance, monitoring actual vs. planned performance.
• Prepare and analyze quarterly product sell-through reports.

Additional Information

What We Offer

Working at WildBrain is more than a job — it’s the opportunity to join forces with extraordinary, insightful, and imaginative people who will recognize your talents and encourage your professional growth and development in a work environment that promotes creativity and individuality. We offer competitive benefits, and we invest in our people and their future.

Our Commitment

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are in our DNA. As a global leader in kids and family entertainment, we strive to reflect and honour the diversity of our audiences around the world. We believe that creating diverse and inclusive content & brands begins with fostering a culture of belonging at WildBrain. To us, a culture of belonging is one where we celebrate and welcome the diversity of all employees, stakeholders, and external partners and strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and brings their authentic self to work.

We demonstrate our commitment to this by striving to provide a supportive work environment and a corporate culture that welcomes and encourages equal opportunities for all employees. We recognize that people bring experience and talent that goes beyond the technical skills and requirements of a job. If you possess similar experience that is close to what we’ve listed here, we encourage you to please still consider applying. We strongly believe that diverse experience, transferable skills, and passion are key! WildBrain accommodates people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process. Applicants are encouraged to make their needs known in advance if accommodation is required.

About WildBrain CPLG

WildBrain CPLG is a trusted licensing partner for leading brands worldwide, offering 50 years of expertise building consumer products and location-based entertainment programmes across the entertainment, sport, corporate and lifestyle sectors. With over 20 offices serving the UK, Europe, India, the Middle East, China, Asia Pacific and the US, WildBrain CPLG combines the strength of global reach with expertise in local markets to achieve the best results for partners. Our passionate teams consistently challenge themselves to explore new and innovative ideas and opportunities in partnerships, activations, creative and business processes to celebrate and build brands. At WildBrain CPLG, we believe that collaboration is about clarity, openness and trust, and we are widely known for our no-nonsense, straightforward approach. WildBrain CPLG is part of WildBrain Ltd., a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment. Please contact us or visit the WildBrain CPLG website for more information: www.cplg.com.

About WildBrain

At WildBrain, we build and grow beloved family brands through exceptional entertainment experiences. Home to franchises such as Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi, we are a global leader in franchise management—bringing stories to life through content production, audience reach and consumer products. Our award-winning studio has partnered with top global platforms such as Apple TV, Netflix and the BBC, producing acclaimed series such as The Snoopy Show, Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, Teletubbies (2015), Yo Gabba GabbaLand! and Finding Her Edge. The WildBrain Network, offering more than 1,000 channels across YouTube, FAST and AVOD, delivers premium-quality content to today’s kids and families wherever they’re watching—connecting advertisers to audiences at scale through brand-safe media solutions. WildBrain CPLG, our global licensing and consumer products arm, represents our own and partner brands across major territories worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, WildBrain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at wildbrain.com.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring:

• Significant experience and a demonstrated ability to manage a brand and product line
• Marketing and/or sales related experience in softlines categories
• Strong relationships with premium, luxury and trend driven brands
• Knowledge of fashion / home retail, merchandising, licensing/contracts
• Proven ability to drive change and results through influential leadership skills
• Demonstrated presentation skills with a persuasive nature
• Proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment
• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint