Senior Licensing & Development Manager

The Senior Licensing & Development Manager is part of the Licensing & Retail (L&R) team, which is responsible for setting the strategy, objectives and deliverables of event and 365 licensing and retail programmes to deliver against budget and meet fan demands and stakeholder expectations. A key objective of the role is to improve the collaboration and integration of licensing and retail needs and opportunities within the wider commercial partners and media strategy and teams. The role works closely with the senior L&R management team and with other teams and functional areas across the organisation.

• Identify, negotiate and manage all official licensing contracts and licensees, covering both event and 365 licensed and retail business, both mono-branded and branded, and manage licensees' contracts and other appointed relevant providers in alignment with the senior management team.
• Work collaboratively and proactively with relevant stakeholders to establish the licensing programme needed to meet fan demands, and build strong professional relationships across teams and functional areas to drive understanding, integration and opportunity for Licensing & Retail.
• Contribute proactively to the overall business strategy, providing strategic input, business knowledge and insights.
• Work with data and insights teams to inform the licensed business and contribute key data to drive future business and overall insights for the commercial P&M division.
• Support the sales and royalty reporting processes and systems, working closely with the senior management team and particularly the team lead for retail and planning.
• Plan and work with official licensees to drive product, promotion and distribution strategies for wholesale and FIFA D2C retail.
• Drive an integrative approach and work streams with the MBBI team to develop and optimise marketing opportunities with branded licensees, and develop the brand strategy, product category and product segmentation to deliver wholesale and D2C retail business.
• Identify new licensed product business streams in digital, phygital and other innovative areas, and work with applicable teams to develop such products.
• Develop FIFA licensed business across all relevant and applicable territories.
• Identify and share market trends and customer needs, translating them into strategic actions to build FIFA IP equity, brand, retail and product exposure and ultimately grow revenue.
• Develop best-in-class key licensee management in alignment with the senior L&R management team.
• Proactively manage documents, boilerplates, systems and documentation processes to meet legal, governance, import/export, compliance and sustainability needs, working closely with teams such as legal, compliance, tax and logistics.
• Build strong relationships with the commercial partnerships team to identify, drive and manage licensed business opportunities with current and future commercial partners.
• Contribute proactively to workflow processes and systems to drive efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Handle any other related Licensing & Retail matters as assigned by the Head of Licensing & Retail.

• At least 8 years' experience and a relevant background in licensing, account management or another relevant position working for an agency, rights holder or licensee.
• Proven ability to implement, analyse and improve processes, measure results and achieve financial goals.
• Experience in the sports and/or commercial sector.
• Understanding of the interaction of product, retail and marketing.
• Knowledge of legal and financial matters in relation to the licensed business.
• Relevant business degree.
• Fluent in English, both verbal and written.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Technology and innovation savvy.
• Experience working with a contract management system.
• Excellent understanding of GTM and product development processes and timelines.
• Strong understanding of financial statements and the financial and legal aspects of licensing.
• Strong stakeholder (internal and external) management skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication skills.

• Proficiency in any other language is an asset.

• Health and fitness: regular football sessions for all abilities, plus an on-site gym.
• Home office: up to two days of home office per week if work permits, plus a home office allowance for all staff.
• Language courses offered to all staff to aid personal and professional growth.
• Continuous learning: internal mobility is encouraged, with a variety of training and education offered to support development.
• Flexible pension benefits with generous employer contributions.
• Relocation assistance from a dedicated team.
• Sustainability: support for all employees using public transport.
• Generous vacation allowance to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
• Volunteering opportunities with one of the organisation's partners.