Principal, IP Dev't & Licensing, Franchise Development

Job Description

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 9+ years of creative executive experience
- Experience working with other departments such as casting, production, research, PR, business and legal affairs
- Experience overseeing all creative aspects of development production and post production
- Experience, including global Live Experiences, Consumer Products, and Publishing with P&L accountability at an entertainment/media company.
- Experience negotiating, developing and implementing long-term brand development strategies globally.

DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a seasoned Principal, IP Development & Licensing to join our Franchise Development team which is responsible for establishing Wondery as a driving force in creating, cultivating, and monetizing podcast IP. The ideal candidate possesses a blend of commercial acumen and creativity, thrives on innovation, and excels in launching new avenues for fan interaction. They are strategic, thoughtful, and committed to blazing new trails with brand extensions for Wondery's portfolio and talent.

This role requires a broad set of expertise as this person will oversee all aspects -- from strategy to pitching and from negotiation to creative development – of building a steady pipeline of brand extensions (e.g., Live Experiences, Consumer Products, Games, Retail Development, and Publishing) to delight fans globally. Additionally, this position will oversee the build out of key genre brands, and the international IP development. This seasoned leader will play a pivotal role as a key collaborator in supporting Wondery's leadership team in driving revenue growth. He/she/they will report directly to the Chief Brand Officer while actively engaging with internal teams (e.g., Content, Marketing, Research, Business Planning, Ad Sales, Amazon Shopping, Alexa) as well as podcast talent, agents, and licensing and business partners. Coming in on the ''ground floor,'' this role will help build out Wondery's and its IP in the fast-moving and fast-growing podcast space. As such, it is key that the candidate have an entrepreneurial mindset, be capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment, display sound judgment, and have the leadership and credibility to represent the effort as a whole including negotiating and building relationships with anyone in the industry.

Key job responsibilities
• Drive all aspects of commercial deals and development from strategy to execution to extend Wondery shows, genre brands and talent projects into a pipeline of Live Tours/Experiences, Consumer Products, Publishing and other brand extensions.
• Bring expertise to and lead negotiations with talent, licensees and other critical business partners on complex deals, in collaboration with Legal and Business Affairs; help set deal policy/templates, especially in areas new to Wondery.
• Oversee and drive the long-range franchise plans for key genre brands, History Tellers and Exhibit C.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge of the industry to identify opportunities to extend Wondery IP, this includes forging into new fan touchpoints such as Live Tours and driving international expansion (especially UK and Germany).
• Generate alignment and excitement for key initiatives; partner with the Content team, podcast creators and talent, and prospective partners to identify, inform, and build out a pipeline of brand initiatives from concept to launch.
• Ensure all brand extensions deliver on the Company's creative and business goals while surprising and delighting fans.
• Obtain and allocate resources to achieve goals, while making sure projects are staying on the creative track; direct and implement new processes to streamline work flow and drive efficiencies.

About the team
Wondery, an Amazon company, is a premium podcast studio known for character-driven, binge-worthy stories including Dr. Death, British Scandal, Even the Rich and Business Wars, as well as distribution of hit partner shows SmartLess, Morbid, and How I Built This. Wondery was behind eight of the ''Top 25 New Shows of 2022'' (according to Podtrac) and is the #2 podcast network in the US (according to Podtrac and Triton) including Twin Flames, Fed Up and Will be Wild. Over 50 shows from Wondery have hit #1 on Apple Podcasts. Many Wondery podcasts have been adapted for scripted television or streaming series, including Dr. Death and Joe vs Carole on Peacock and The Shrink Next Door and WeCrashed on Apple TV+. Wondery has gained critical acclaim and commercial success for its immersive approach to sonic, emotionally driven storytelling. The Wondery app offers a unique, personalized, podcast-first listening experience, including access to its premium offering Wondery+. With Wondery+, fans get a premium listening experience, including exclusive podcasts, early access to new episodes of hit shows, ad-free listening, merch discounts, live streamed events, and more.

We are open to hiring candidates to work out of one of the following locations:

Virtual Location - VT

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working at a premium television network or a world-class production company
- Experience managing film and television development and production and ability to shepherd a project from idea to launch
- German language proficiency (spoken and written)
- A podcast listener, or a desire to be one
- Excellent cross-team collaboration and partnership skills, with demonstrated ability to work across organizations and reporting boundaries to get things done

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-dynevp-3-15-171-202-42 in your application.