Manager Licensing Full Time

IMG Licensing represents renowned brands, institutions, and entertainment properties spanning sports, films, and talent – creating marketing and revenue opportunities through licensed products. Our portfolio includes premier brands such as Lionsgate Films (John Wick, Hunger Games, Saw), Dolly Parton, Rovio/Angry Birds, Ubisoft and Fortnite. As part of the WME Group ecosystem, we create some of the world’s most iconic cultural moments and experiences, with unparalleled access to artists and creators represented by our vast network of talent agencies and businesses.

The Role and What You’ll Do:

The Manager, Licensing is responsible for managing a group of product categories and licensees with the goal of meeting or exceeding predetermined revenue targets and growth objectives.

Finance and Business Planning:

• Accountable for developing, proposing, overseeing and implementing the business strategy for Softlines categories including Home/Furniture/Décor/Tabletop and Kitchen and overseeing the FBC.
• Fiscal responsibility for assigned categories to include annual budget planning and quarterly revenue forecasting.
• Participates and contributes to the strategic planning process. Develops strategies and business plans by retailer, brand and property.
• Identify new business and revenue opportunities.
• Identify DTR opportunities incl franchise stores.

Client Management:

• Provide licensee/product/market/retail information to client when and where needed.
• Manage client timelines and deliverables incl forecasts, budget reviews, royalty reports with the help of other team members and the finance department.
• Work on strategic plans and brand roadmaps with the help of other team members for client.

Category Management:

• Acts as ambassador for the category and brand. Research & understand competitive landscape. Analyze and understand market trends, consumer trends, retailer and industry needs.
• Strategize and develop new business opportunities. Analyzes account (licensee and retailer) business performance and develops growth objectives that are aligned with client’s Consumer Products initiatives.
• Develop and implement product strategies, merchandising and marketing plans to ensure that sales are maximized and marketing objectives are met.
• Partner with sales in assortment / retail planning / sales pitches where relevant.
• Ensures licensee requests are researched and responded to in a timely fashion.
• Manage licensee portfolio / co-manage where relevant with partner (contract negotiation, data management, approvals, submissions, promotion / advertising) as well as day-to-day relationship with licensees.
• Support Director in everyday responsibilities such as contract and amendment process, financial analysis, preparing presentations and other projects as necessary.

Product Development:

• Partner with Product Development team to innovate & bring to market compelling new product for categories managed.
• Ensures licensee product lines reflect client’s quality and brand/property objectives.

Retail, Sales and Marketing:

• Develop strong relationships with key retailers to maximize commercial and brand opportunities.
• Maintain general knowledge of the retail landscape and monitor retails sales performance of key licensees and programs. Perform retail-shopping analysis.
• Provide any licensee /product information in support of marketing and brand presentations and sales meetings.
• Build strong team-oriented relationships with other DCP franchise teams and business units, to develop opportunities of coordination with other categories, lines of business and departments and/or cross-promotional opportunities.

You Have These:

• Strong understanding of brand positioning, retail business development function, retail distribution and the retail environment
• Highly detail-oriented. Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Regional licensing experience
• Ability to handle several tasks/assignments simultaneously and to maintain flexibility to adapt to changing priorities
• Excellent communication & presentation skills
• Self-starter, motivated, proactive, dependable, able to work in a fast pace environment
• Analytical/Strategic Thinker
• Team player with strong interpersonal skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, Word and PowerPoint; knowledge of financial tracking systems preferred

How we work:

WME Group is at the center of sports, media, entertainment, and fashion and is a largely relationship-based business. To foster an environment of collaboration, develop our future talent, and build on relationships across leadership, peers, and teams, we work from the office 4 days per week. We see immeasurable value internally and throughout the core of the businesses we support.

• This role will be based in Dubai.
• Working hours are 9:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday.
• Occasional travel and weekend work may be required

Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.