Sr. Licensing Manager

<div class="content-intro"><p>Most companies claim to have the best people. We say to them, "Keep dreaming." Our people are second to none. They set us apart with their entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. They come to us from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and the sports world, bringing energy, bold ideas and a willingness to dive into the unfamiliar. It's our people that make BDA the top global Merchandise Agency to work for.</p></div><p> </p> <p><strong>POSITION SUMMARY</strong></p> <p>The Sr. Licensing Manager leads the licensing function, setting direction for the approval and royalty process, leading and developing direct reports, and serving as the senior point of contact for licensors, internal leadership, and account managers. This role owns the approvals workflow end to end, leads the partnership with Finance on royalty reporting and audits, owns licensor relationships, and is accountable for contract and manufacturer agreement compliance across all BDA properties.</p> <p>This role carries financial/budgetary and strategic planning responsibility and requires the ability to interpret extremely detailed guidelines and corporate standards, anticipate issues, and drive thoughtful business solutions with a high degree of independence. Limited travel may be required.</p> <p>This role requires a proven record of managing complex analytical and financial details. Years of proven people management and development experience are required, including a demonstrated ability to coach, grow, and retain team members. Prior experience in the ad specialty, advertising, or promotions industry is preferred but not required.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>LOCATION: </strong></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in;" type="disc"> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">This role follows a hybrid schedule, with </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">4 days onsite and 1 day remote each week</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">. </span></li> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">To be considered, candidates must reside within commuting distance </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">BDA's office in </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"> Woodinville, WA</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"> or</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"> New York, NY </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">(Bryant Park area)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"> as regular in-person collaboration is an essential part of the role.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>KEY RESPONSIBILITIES</strong></p> <p><strong>Approvals</strong></p> <ul> <li>Own and oversee the licensing approval request process (Creative, Royalties, Campaigns, Key Initiatives), setting standards for accuracy and turnaround, including but not limited to: <ul> <li>QC Forms and Tracking — oversight of submission, tracking, and follow-up on forms and art submitted for all leagues</li> <li>Ownership and governance of the Licensing portal</li> <li>Serve as the escalation point for all Licensing business and account managers throughout all phases of the approval process</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Reporting</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the partnership with Finance on monthly and quarterly compilation and reconciliation of all royalty-related projects, lead annual audit preparation, and use error reporting to drive coaching and training</li> <li>Deliver royalty and approval performance reporting and insights to senior leadership</li> </ul> <p><strong>Brand Expertise</strong></p> <ul> <li>Serve as the senior subject matter expert on licensor guidelines, maintaining reference materials, advising leadership and account teams on complex scenarios, resolving escalated issues, and recommending thoughtful business solutions</li> </ul> <p><strong>Relationship Management</strong></p> <ul> <li>Own licensor relationships, leading ongoing weekly calls and serving as the escalation point for licensors' day-to-day needs</li> </ul> <p><strong>Contracts</strong></p> <ul> <li>Oversee contract and manufacturer agreement compliance, keeping agreements up to date and supporting renewals in partnership with appropriate departments</li> </ul> <p><strong>Process Improvement</strong></p> <ul> <li>Assess, analyze, and evolve processes and procedures to increase results and ease of process throughout BDA, leading cross-functional improvement initiatives</li> </ul> <p><strong>Team Leadership</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead, coach, and develop direct reports, setting priorities and performance expectations for the licensing team</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>10+ years in process and organizational development</li> <li>10+ years of marketing or operations experience</li> <li>11+ years of data entry experience</li> <li>8+ year