Sr Manager, Inbound Licensing

Sr. Manager, Inbound Licensing, Full-Time, Forks Township

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Sets the overall strategic direction for inbound licensing to assure growth. Provides strategic leadership and is the primary point person for the company's inbound licensing activities. Builds market position by identifying, developing, defining, negotiating, and closing business relationships. Works cross-functionally across the organization to drive successful on-going and new licensing business, including key partnerships across sales, marketing, legal, finance, creative, insights and executive leadership teams.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic inbound global licensed property mix leadership
  
  
  
  • Prospects and identifies new licensing opportunities based on properties strength and entertainment portfolio. Maintains calendar of upcoming tentpole releases.
  • Recommends product development opportunities based on Licensor IP initiatives, licensor retail programs, trends, forecasting and POS analysis. Conducts brainstorm sessions and coordinates product development strategy between licensors and marketing platforms.
  • Monitors performance of license portfolio and recommends action plans to maximize revenue opportunities and minimize guarantee shortfall exposure. Collaborates across teams frequently to optimize strategic priorities.
  • Works with Retail Sales, Platforms and Licensor RBD teams to secure placement in incremental property statements and secondary merchandising.
  • Works with Hallmark Licensing to coordinate Crayola/Hallmark licensed programs.
  • Creates presentations on existing and prospective IP to portfolio teams, international teams and senior leadership highlighting license opportunities.
  • Proactively communicates with international teams to align message consistency and to maximize licensing opportunities.
  • Supports international markets forecasts/reporting in presentations, as well as reconciliation rationale.
  • Assists GMs in negotiating royalty rate reductions, extensions and royalty relief when necessary.
    
    
  
  
  
  
• Contract Management and Negotiation
  
  
  
  • Drives licensor negotiations to minimize guarantee obligations, maximize internal gross margins, and secure product and domestic and international territory grants to support global business goals.
  • Ensures portfolios of IP licenses are renewed on a timely basis to protect product development timelines.
  • Works with legal to draft all inbound contracts; ensures flawless execution across partner process. End to end contract implementation includes Deal Memo to fully executed stages, working closely with executive, legal and financial teams. Responsibilities extend to leadership as needed in partner audit processes.
  • Coordinates with Hallmark to leverage Hallmark contracts where possible.
  • Negotiates royalty rate reductions, extensions and royalty relief when necessary.
  • Maintains records and files of all contracts and amendments.
  
  
  
  

• Global licensor relationship management
  
  
  
  • Manages Licensor relationships and ensures compliance with all contractual obligations globally.
  • Develops relationships across management levels within each licensor organization. Maintains database of all relevant decision makers within licensor organizations
  • Produces quarterly forecast reports and annual business plans/reviews for global licensed Prepares additional POS, Forecast, Sales, marketing/advertising recaps reports and presentations as needed.
  • Attends relevant tradeshows, Licensor summits, screenings and planning meetings.
  
  
  
  

• Licensed product approvals
  
  
  
  • Provides "best practice" thought leadership and solutions to submission process, leading and facilitating internal creative teams and partner connections and communications.
  • Negotiates with licensor senior management to resolve escalated product approvals issues and conflicts on behalf of product approval teams.
  • Works with licensor art department as needed to ensure timely delivery of art assets from Licensors.
  
  
  
  

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 7 years licensing experience, including product development and preferably dealing with inbound licensing
• Bachelor's degree in business concentration preferred
• International experience a plus
• Able to work independently and manage time effectively and to drive multiple projects forward at once
• Excellent cross-team collaboration and partnership skills, with demonstrated ability to work across organizations and reporting boundaries to get things done
• Strong working knowledge of the kid licensing and retail landscapes and trends
• Proven negotiating skills and experience, and experience in developing and implementing long-term strategies
• Effectively communicates verbally, in writing and through well-constructed reports and presentations.
• PC knowledge (Microsoft Word, Excel)
• Travel 20%+

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands and fingers to operate, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

WHY CRAYOLA?

• Kid Inspired Culture
• Free Admission to Crayola Experience for Employees
• Community Volunteerism Opportunities
• Annual Bonus Potential for all Full-Time Employees
• Company Matched 401k & Employee Value Sharing Plan
• Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits for Eligible Employees
• Education Assistance Program
• Wellness Programs
• Employee Resource Groups
• Generous Product Discounts Onsite & Online
• Company Sponsored Employee Events
• Discounts on a wide variety of products and services - automotive, electronics, fitness, travel and entertainment

Green is our favorite color! Crayola cares about the environment and responsibly makes the products you love. Learn more about Crayola's creative solutions for greener tomorrows: https://www.crayola.com/about-us/sustainability.aspx

We offer competitive salary, outstanding benefits and the potential for advancement through the use of creative abilities. No phone calls please.

Search Firm Representatives - Please Read Carefully:
Crayola LLC is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Crayola LLC via e-mail, the Internet, or directly to hiring managers at Crayola LLC in any form without valid written search agreement in place for that position will be deemed the sole property of Crayola LLC, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Crayola LLC as a result of the referral or through other means.

Search firms are essential to the recruitment and staffing efforts at Crayola LLC, and we value the partnerships we have built with our vendors. For this reason, Crayola LLC has established and regularly maintains a preferred vendor list. Please note that even preferred vendors need to have a written search agreement signed by Human Resources at Crayola LLC in place for the specific position in order for a fee to be paid for any candidate referrals.