Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and innovate Debenhams' licensing strategy for global brand growth.
- Company: Debenhams Group is transforming retail with bold ideas and a fast-paced environment.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive bonuses, gym access, discounts, and a supportive wellbeing package.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team that values creativity and embraces change in the retail landscape.
- Qualifications: Extensive licensing experience in fashion or consumer brands with strong negotiation skills.
- Other info: Work from Manchester or Soho, London, in a dog-friendly office.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
At Debenhams Group, we’re rewriting the rules of retail. We move fast, think boldly, and embrace innovation at every level. Change is constant here and that’s exactly how we like it. If you thrive in high-growth environments, get excited by new challenges, and want to make a tangible impact on a brand with global reach, this is your stage.
We’re looking for a dynamic and commercially savvy Head of or Director of Licensing, someone who can not only see opportunity, but seize it. This is a senior leadership role requiring strategic agility, sharp commercial instincts, and the confidence to influence at the highest levels.
This role can be based out of our central Manchester or Soho, London office.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Own and evolve the Group’s licensing strategy, driving revenue and brand growth through world-class partnerships and bold market plays.
- Act as a key ambassador for the Debenhams brand, working cross-functionally and externally with senior stakeholders, collaborators, and licensees.
- Define and deliver a future-facing global licensing strategy aligned with Debenhams' brand and business goals.
- Drive new brand licensing and inward collaboration deals across targeted global markets.
- Identify and negotiate high-impact licensing agreements with new partners — always with brand integrity and growth front of mind.
- Manage and nurture relationships with current licensees to ensure mutual commercial success and contractual compliance.
- Work closely with senior leaders across marketing, design, legal, and finance to bring category-expanding opportunities to life.
- Oversee the brand approval process for licensed products and collaborations, ensuring flawless brand representation.
- Stay ahead of market trends, identifying white space, emerging categories, and innovative brand partnerships.
- Track, analyse, and report on licensing performance, providing actionable insights and forward-looking recommendations.
What We Look For
- Extensive experience leading licensing within the fashion, lifestyle, or consumer brand space.
- A proven track record of executing complex, high-value licensing deals that drive brand equity and commercial success.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the gravitas to influence senior internal and external decision-makers.
- A strategic mindset combined with hands-on commercial acumen.
- Strong negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
- A creative eye for brand alignment and product opportunity.
- A results-driven, agile approach, with the confidence to lead in ambiguity and pace.
WORKING WITH US
At Debenhams Group we thrive on change, innovation, and pace. Every challenge is an opportunity, and every day is a chance to push boundaries. If you’re someone who embraces the unknown, thrives in a fast-moving, high-growth environment, and is ready to shape the future of retail, you’ll love it here. We want visionaries, disruptors, and doers—people who bring fresh thinking, relentless energy, and the drive to make an impact.
WHY JOIN US
Our mission is to create a workplace where everyone is respected, their individual differences are valued, and they can be themselves at work without exception. 2025 is a year for making bold moves, delivering real results, and driving forward with unstoppable momentum. If that excites you, then you belong at Debenhams Group. Let’s lead the change together.
Benefits Include:
- Highly competitive bonus scheme, company pension, share schemes, private medical cover, and life assurance.
- Access to an on-site gym (Techno Equipment) and free weekly yoga and fitness classes.
- 40% discount across four brands and 20% off at Debenhams.
- A comprehensive wellbeing package to support your health and lifestyle.
- Some of our offices are dog-friendly, so your furry friend can join you at work.
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities with great internal career progression.
- On-site canteen serving breakfast, lunch, snacks, and hot drinks daily.
- Free season ticket loan.
Licensing Director employer: Debenhams Group
Contact Detail:
Debenhams Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Licensing Director
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the licensing and retail sectors. Attend industry events, webinars, or local meetups to connect with potential colleagues or mentors who can provide insights into Debenhams Group's culture and expectations.
✨Tip Number 2
Research Debenhams Group's recent licensing deals and partnerships. Understanding their current strategies will help you tailor your discussions during interviews and demonstrate your knowledge of the brand's direction.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your previous licensing experiences in detail. Be ready to share specific examples of high-value deals you've executed and how they contributed to brand growth, as this will showcase your commercial acumen.
✨Tip Number 4
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in the fashion and lifestyle sectors. Being able to identify emerging opportunities and market shifts will position you as a forward-thinking candidate who can drive innovation at Debenhams Group.
We think you need these skills to ace Licensing Director
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before applying, make sure you fully understand the responsibilities and expectations of the Licensing Director role at Debenhams Group. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with their needs.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your extensive experience in licensing within the fashion or consumer brand space. Provide specific examples of high-value licensing deals you've executed and the impact they had on brand equity.
Showcase Stakeholder Management Skills: Debenhams Group values exceptional stakeholder management skills. Use your application to demonstrate your ability to influence senior decision-makers and manage relationships effectively.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter should not only express your enthusiasm for the role but also outline your strategic mindset and commercial acumen. Make it clear why you are the ideal candidate to drive their licensing strategy forward.
How to prepare for a job interview at Debenhams Group
✨Showcase Your Strategic Mindset
As a Licensing Director, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to think strategically. Prepare examples of how you've developed and executed successful licensing strategies in the past, focusing on the impact they had on brand growth and revenue.
✨Highlight Stakeholder Management Skills
This role requires exceptional stakeholder management. Be ready to discuss how you've influenced senior decision-makers and built strong relationships with partners. Use specific examples to illustrate your communication and negotiation skills.
✨Demonstrate Commercial Acumen
Your interviewers will be looking for someone with sharp commercial instincts. Prepare to discuss complex licensing deals you've executed, including the challenges faced and how you overcame them to drive brand equity and success.
✨Stay Ahead of Market Trends
Debenhams Group values innovation and staying ahead of the curve. Research current market trends in licensing and be prepared to share insights on emerging categories and potential partnerships that could benefit the brand.
