Manager, Licensing & Merchandising

Job Summary

The Licensing Manager is responsible for managing brand licensing programs, licensee relationships, and licensing agreements that extend and strengthen the brand. This role leads the planning, execution, administration, and measurement of licensing initiatives while ensuring all licensed products, marketing, and partner activities align with brand standards and business objectives.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience managing licensing programs and agreements for large brands, with the ability to work effectively across internal stakeholders, external licensees, agencies, and legal partners.

Responsibilities

- Manage the day-to-day operation of brand licensing programs, including licensee onboarding, product approvals, reporting, renewals, and compliance.
- Lead relationships with licensees, manufacturers, agencies, retailers, and other external partners.
- Coordinate the development, review, execution, and renewal of licensing agreements in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Brand leadership.
- Track contractual rights, obligations, deliverables, exclusivity provisions, term dates, insurance requirements, and royalty-reporting requirements.
- Oversee the creative approval process for licensed products, packaging, marketing materials, and use of brand trademarks.
- Ensure licensees comply with brand guidelines, quality standards, product-safety requirements, and contractual terms.
- Partner with Brand, Marketing, Merchandising, Product, Sales, and Operations teams to identify licensing opportunities that support strategic objectives.
- Monitor market trends, consumer insights, competitive activity, and category opportunities to inform licensing strategy.
- Manage licensing calendars, budgets, forecasts, royalty reporting, and performance scorecards.
- Prepare program updates, financial analyses, and recommendations for leadership.
- Support negotiations and evaluation of new licensing opportunities, partner renewals, and program expansions.
- Identify and address program risks, including unauthorized brand use or noncompliance with agreement terms.

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Licensing, Merchandising, or a related field required.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in brand licensing, partnership marketing, consumer products, merchandising, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience managing  licensing programs and agreements for large brands  required.
- Experience working with licensees, manufacturers, retailers, agencies, and internal cross-functional partners.
- Knowledge of licensing-agreement components, intellectual-property rights, trademark usage, royalty structures, product approvals, and compliance processes.
- Proven ability to manage multiple programs, contracts, priorities, and deadlines with strong attention to detail.
- Strong commercial, analytical, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with Legal, Finance, Brand, Marketing, Product, and external partners.
- Proficiency with standard business tools, reporting, and budget-management processes.

Physical Demands / Working Environment

- Primarily office-based work with regular use of computer and communication systems.
- Periodic travel may be required for licensee meetings, product reviews, retail visits, trade events, and business reviews.
- May occasionally require work outside normal business hours to support product launches, partner meetings, or time-sensitive contract activities.

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GPC conducts its business without regard to sex, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, military status, status as a veteran, or any other protected characteristic. GPC's policy is to recruit, hire, train, promote, assign, transfer and terminate employees based on their own ability, achievement, experience and conduct and other legitimate business reasons.