SVP, Licensed Products & Smithsonian Books

Smithsonian Institution; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 220,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

403b Retirement Plan

Annual and Sick Leave

Transit/Commuter Benefits

Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships

Job summary

Smithsonian Enterprises seeks a Senior Vice President, Licensed Products & Smithsonian Books, based in Washington, DC. This role leads licensing, publishing, and brand strategy to monetize Smithsonian assets while upholding scholarly integrity.

Requires 15+ years in licensing/partnerships with strong leadership, strategic planning, contract negotiation, and global travel up to 10%. The role reports to the Acting President, Smithsonian Enterprises, and is based in Washington, DC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 15+ years in licensing, partnerships, and product development.
• Experience with cultural institutions or heritage brands.
• Contract negotiation and rights management experience.
• Strong leadership, strategic planning, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for Licensed Products and Books divisions.
• Manage licensing partnerships, performance metrics, and revenue reporting.
• Oversee publishing strategies for SI Books and related products.
• Steward the Smithsonian brand and ensure brand integrity across products.
• Oversee contracting, negotiations, and compliance with Smithsonian policies.
• Drive financial performance and operational excellence across the unit.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Rights management

Strategic planning

Public speaking

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication

Team building

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

SVP, Licensed Products & Smithsonian Books

Application Deadline: 23 October 2026

Department: Smithsonian Enterprises

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Acting President, Smithsonian Enterprises

Compensation: $220,000 - $240,000 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 22, 2026

CLOSING DATE: October 23, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk: High

Open to all qualified applicants

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

Smithsonian Enterprises (SE) is a revenue-generating unit of the Smithsonian Institution, responsible for raising annual unrestricted funds to support the mission of the Smithsonian. Smithsonian Enterprises oversees the Media, Retail, Ecommerce, Journeys (travel program), Books and Licensed Products. These revenue generating activities support and further the Smithsonian mission of “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” providing revenue to support the exhibition and research programs of the Smithsonian.

The Senior Vice President, Licensed Products and Smithsonian Institution (SI) Books serves as the primary liaison to the licensing agency, oversees SI’s book publishing and licensed publishing departments. In this role, the SVP works closely with the agency, the President of Smithsonian Enterprises (SE), and museum partners across the Institution to develop and implement comprehensive strategies that manage and monetize the Smithsonian’s brand and content assets.

A critical responsibility of this role is ensuring that all products and services authentically reflect and uphold the Smithsonian’s cultural, educational, and scholarly integrity, safeguards brand alignment and ensuring that every product decision supports and advances the Institution’s mission and values.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provide overall leadership, strategic direction, and accountability for all aspects of the Licensed Products and Books divisions including building and executing long-term strategic plans as well as managing P&L and annual operating budgets.
• Act as a key relationship manager between SE and Smithsonian museums, legal units, Office of Public Affairs and other SI leadership.
• Facilitates deal execution.
• May serve as an advisor to the President on additional programmatic initiatives.

Consumer Products Licensing, Brand & Partnership Management

• Serve as the primary liaison to agency and collaborate with the agency to identify high-value licensing partners that develop Smithsonian‑branded products and services that support museum priorities while maximizing revenue.
• Establish performance metrics and track licensing program revenue, brand reach, and partner compliance.
• Provide executive-level reporting on program status, opportunities, and risks.

Licensed Publishing and Smithsonian Books:

• In partnership with the Director, Smithsonian Books, responsible for managing the operational relationship between Smithsonian Books and the Smithsonian Institution with focus on facilitating development of SI-authored or edited titles through the program. Responsible for performance of SI backlist of 300+ titles.
• Develop and build a short-term and a long-term licensing sales strategy for licensed publishing across the Smithsonian museums, ensuring revenue goals and mission objectives of the Institution. Responsible for products including but not limited to: trade books, eBooks, children’s non-fiction books, textbooks, supplementary educational materials, higher education instructional materials, courseware, online publications, board books, family reference books, study guides, workbooks, K-12 curriculum, online courses, and digital educational games targeted to life‑long learners and to educators in formal learning environments.

Steward the Smithsonian brand:

• Manage and monetize the Smithsonian brand and content assets across a full range of consumer product categories.
• Ensure all brand extensions reflect Smithsonian values and maintain the highest standards of cultural and scholarly integrity.
• Guide development of brand materials, product guidelines, and storytelling frameworks for licensed products.

Contracting & Negotiations:

• Work with agency and/or vendors to negotiate licensing agreements and favorable terms while adhering to Smithsonian policies and procedures for revenue‑generating contracts.
• Work in close partnership with agent and vendors to evaluate terms of proposals, product categories, and brand usage to ensure maximum value and strategic alignment.
• Oversee due diligence and compliance processes to ensure that partners meet Smithsonian standards.
• Oversee the contracting process in collaboration with the Director of Internal Operations, Office of General Counsel and Office of Contracting to ensure timely review and approval.
• Drive deal flow with agent and vendors and navigate internal obstacles to quickly close deals.

Financial & Operational Management:

• Oversee tracking of revenues and contribute to the annual museum distribution process.
• Ensure efficient business operations and implement systems that support growth and operational excellence.
• Support the preparation of summaries, presentations, and business analyses for senior leadership, partner executives, Legal, Finance, and other key stakeholders.
• Troubleshoot operational challenges as needed.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must possess a Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from a four-year college or university and at least 15 years of related experience in licensing, partnership management, and product development, with demonstrated success in building and executing revenue‑generating strategies.

Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Experience working with cultural institutions, mission-driven organizations, or heritage brands.
• Proven ability to develop long‑range strategic plans, assess internal and external business drivers, and set organizational direction.
• Demonstrated experience with contract negotiation and rights management for images, objects, and related content.
• Advanced computer skills and the ability to independently create memoranda, reports, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Strong ability to navigate and succeed within complex organizational structures.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking, written, and public‑speaking skills.
• Entrepreneurial yet disciplined management style and a reputation for professional integrity.
• Strong leadership skills, including team building, change management, and creating a positive employee experience.
• Proven ability to inspire teams and drive results aligned with organizational goals.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time.

The individual selected for this position is subject to fingerprinting and a full-field background investigation and will be required to file a confidential statement of employment and financial interests. This position is subjected to the Smithsonian Institution’s Standards of Conduct, the Smithsonian Statement of Values and Code of Ethics, as well as the policies established by the Board of Regents and the Smithsonian administration including Senior Level compensation policy. Employment in this position prohibits from serving on the boards of for‑profit corporations.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact [e-mail]. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case‑by‑case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

Equal Opportunity Employer. To review The Smithsonian's EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo