We are seeking a commercially minded licensing and business development professional to help drive growth across a portfolio of leading gaming and children's entertainment brands. This senior role will play a key part in shaping and executing licensing strategies, securing new commercial partnerships, expanding revenue opportunities, and managing high-profile client relationships. Working closely with rights holders, licensees, retailers, and partners, you will help maximise the value of world-renowned IP through innovative licensing programs and strategic brand extensions.
The Role and What You'll Do:
This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive dealmaker who combines strong commercial acumen with creative thinking and enjoys bringing iconic brands to market through best-in-class licensing initiatives.
- Driving new business development in traditional and non-traditional licensing categories.
- Generating new business from self-started prospecting efforts, leveraging existing contacts and exploring new industries or markets.
- Focusing on ‘creative thinking’ i.e. taking brands into relevant, innovative categories through thought leadership, commercial initiative and the development of co-branded and mono-branded licenses and brand extensions.
- Create and maintain business development / client reporting mechanisms on all sales activities.
- Ensuring all stages of deal negotiation, contracting, contract and financial management are entered/recorded within IMG’s licensing management systems.
- Together with the team, activating retail and marketing initiatives for client brands and with licensees, e.g. product and lifestyle photo shoots, development of marketing materials, trade shows and launch/PR events 3rd party agencies, generating industry press and proactive retailer outreach and coordination
Key Results Areas
- Revenue growth across all key clients in the gaming and entertainment IP portfolio
- Licensee count and program revenue growth for each client with account responsibility
- Consistent new business and deal making across a select number of valuable clients
- To be an integral part in driving value to licensing businesses and Client satisfaction
Knowledge and Experience
- The candidate will be experienced in the management of the licensing ecosystem – from client brands to licensees’ and retailers, whether as part of an agency, brand owner, licensee or retailer.
- 2nd nature understanding of the inter-relationships of all parties within the licensing industry and comprehensive experience of all aspects of the operation of the licensing process
- High level deal making and experienced in selling licenses within the character entertainment/gaming industries
- A strong rolodex of contacts within the consumer products industry
- Strong sales skills with quantitative, analytical and business justification ability
- Proven experience of working in a fast-paced environment and managing multiple priorities across a growing account base
You'll Have These:
- Experience in a results-orientated licensing sales and business development capacity
- Experience working on major / highly successful gaming and/or entertainment franchise IP
- Able to demonstrate the ability to build and maintain strong and lucrative relationships with A-List partners
- Professional, personable, adaptable, creative, timely, hard-working, high level of integrity – self-starter work ethic and enjoyment of fast and dynamic pace
- Mature time management and prioritisation capabilities
- Confident presentation skills at any level with strong business acumen
- Financial (budget) management, analysis and reporting capabilities
- Demonstratable multi-tasking organization skills - when juggling tasks and managing priorities across a growing account base and “moving ball forward” across different support functions (PD, legal, finance)
- Focused attention to detail skills
- Experience of working with blue chip client in gaming and/or entertainment