Licensing Director, Consumer Products

Job Description

DIRECTOR, LICENSING ACTIVISION | BLIZZARD | KING

Location Santa Monica / Irvine

Position Type Full-time

DIVISION AND DEPARTMENT

Activision | Blizzard | King Consumer Products (ABK CP) is the business segment of Activision Blizzard that extends the suite of brands to merchandise ranging from fashion apparel and accessories, collectibles, home decor, electronic peripherals, books, food and beverages, stationery, animation art, and other categories.

The ABK CP team is responsible for licensing characters and story created by Activision | Blizzard | King Studios. In addition and liaising with the Activision | Blizzard | King divisions, our retailer and licensing partners, it is responsible for driving brand collaborations, fandom experiences, and driving commercial reach.

DESCRIPTION

The Licensing Director for Hardlines and Consumables is responsible for managing Toys and Food, Health and Beauty product categories and the associated product sub-categories and licensees with the goal of meeting or exceeding predetermined revenue targets and growth objectives. They provide business vision and leadership, set strategic direction and leads his category teams to meet or exceed revenue targets, growth objectives and other brands initiatives. They should have a global attitude to business decisions to ensure initiatives yield globally strong financial results.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop revenue for existing licensees and build meaningful white space opportunities

Deliver meaningful collaborations with meaningful partnerships that meet the needs of studio teams

Finance and Business Planning:
• Build quarterly category forecast and yearly budgets and present to Senior Management.
• Develops and presents annual business plan and determines key objectives and priorities to insure project focus. Monitors progress on achieving strategies and modifies as necessary.
• Build yearly 5 years strategic plan and present to senior management.
• Support Franchise team to create annual brand plans.
• Have a global attitude with development of business plans.

Brand and Content Management:

In conjunction with / support of the Franchise team:
• Provide any licensee /product information in support of marketing and brand presentations and sales meetings,
• Help defining and integrating licensees within wider brand and marketing plans
• Ensure seasonal creative strategies are sufficient to meet budget and initiative goals and objectives.

Category management:
• Acts as ambassador for the category and maintains current knowledge of industry trends, competitors, business opportunities, threats and dynamics. Communicates findings to team and senior management.
• Accountable for category and property strategy within its segment to include the development of meaning marketing integration.
• Strategize and develop new business opportunities to include marketing to enhance product campaigns. Analyze account business performance and develop growth objectives that are aligned with CPG initiatives.
• Collaborate with other category team leads to ensure franchises are represented appropriately.
• Develop and implement product strategies, merchandising and marketing plans to ensure that sales are maximized and marketing objectives met.
• Lead the selection, contract negotiation, and day to day relationships with the Top Ten licensees, and ensure appropriate team management of the remaining licensees.
• Organize line reviews, develop retail exclusives and approves line lists for the Top Ten licensees.

Product Development :
• Set-up line review with licensees and Product Development team (Top 10).
• With Sales team define and plan product development for retailer exclusive products (Top 10).
• Prepare product presentations included but not limited to internal line reviews (Top 10).
• Ensures licensee product lines reflect Disney quality and brand/property objectives. (Top 10).
• Lead category portion of creative roll-out for appropriate licensees.
• Responsible for cost assessment, recommendation and control of brainstorm and product or packaging expenditures.

Retail, Sales and Marketing:
• Liaise with Sales Trade Marketing team to define account promotional and marketing plans and ensure licensee participation (Top 10 licensees).
• Develop strong relationships with key retailers to improve commercial and brand opportunities.
• Maintain general knowledge of the retail landscape and monitor retails sales performance of key licensees and programs.

Management:
• Perform general supervisory functions such as hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, development and operating expense control.
• Ensure the development of team members.
• Collaborates with functional heads on team member's development, performance and position specific succession plans.
• Leadership
• Builds strong team-oriented relationships with other key business units and regional partners that result in new business and/or cross-promotional opportunities. Ensures coordination with other categories, lines of business and departments.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
• Bachelor's degree +10 yrs. of directly related experience or Masters +7 yrs. experience.
• At least 6 yrs. experience at the category mgr. level within Disney or 8 yrs. combined mgmt. experience (internal/external).

REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS:
• Proven team management skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage large budgets
• Relationship builder
• Excellent communication & presentation skills
• Breakthrough thinker
• Entrepreneurial
• Excellent sales/negotiation skills
• Multi-task oriented
• Comprehensive knowledge of licensees' production and creative capabilities/limitations
• Ability to drive a vision with commercial results
• Ability to lead change

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

COVID-19 Hiring Update

This role is anticipated to be assigned to work on-site at an Activision Blizzard office. However, we understand each person's circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore possible interim options.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.''

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d8mm0q-216-73-216-117-42 in your application.