Licensing & Brand Partnerships - Contract Role

This is a strategic and operational role responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of brand collaborations and licensed product categories. This role sits at the intersection of creative development, project management, and commercial strategy, acting as the primary liaison between internal departments and external partners. The core mission is to drive brand growth and revenue by securing high-quality partnerships and managing complex licensing opportunities that align with the brand’s ethos and long-term strategic vision.

Licensing Project Management

• Build and update calendars and critical paths.
• Support Communication and Brand Partnerships Director on business reporting, executive summaries, royalties and sales recaps.
• Support Communication and Brand Partnerships Director on the development and launch of each collection, liaising between licensees and internal product/design functions.
• Liaise between partners and internal sales team to implement distribution strategies for the licensed products.
• Regular communication with each licensee to drive projects, share brand updates, and build a strong working relationship.
• Management of DTC assortment: present collections, gather orders, check online assortments, product descriptions, after sales queries for .com and store.
• Suggest and action new opportunities to meet and exceed the strategic vision of the brand.
• Administrative tasks: product set up on internal system, PO creation, follow up of deliveries and communication to internal teams.
• Management of marketing budgets in collaboration with each licensee.
• Partner with VBL Comms and Digital teams to propose 360 marketing plans and activities to drive business performance, in line with both VBL and licensees’ strategic vision and objectives.
• Tracking and analysis of all activities, with clear reporting tools for the internal business and licensees.

Brand Partnerships

• Identify internal and/or external best practices and opportunities to implement on licensing projects.
• Collaborate with the Wholesale & Retail team to identify & implement opportunities with external clients.
• Monitor competitors' activities and comms strategy.
• Identify new potential partnership and sponsorship opportunities (long and short term) to be presented and discussed with internal management.
• Specifically on short term sponsorships, partner with VBL Comms teams to negotiate one-off deals.
• Devise & manage the partnership strategy for VBL in support of business and brand objectives.
• Source, identify & secure high quality partnerships for the brand which align with the brand ethos and deliver on brand goals.
• Deliver partnerships across multiple areas of the business - from product collaborations through to reciprocal marketing partnerships & brand sponsorships - working with the relevant teams in the business to turn these partnerships into a reality.
• Manage partnerships & talent budget, ensuring effective use of budget to deliver multiple partnerships throughout the year and across the business.
• Manage partnership contract negotiations & relationships.
• Propose compelling but realistic offers to potential partners while ensuring VBL’s objectives are being met.
• Support in the management of the Brand Partnerships Budget.
• Responsible for the achievement of the sponsorship revenue target and associated costs.

The Person

A commercially minded relationship builder with a proven track record in managing global licensing projects and high-impact brand partnerships. Expert in navigating the complexities of product development, marketing integration, and budget management to drive brand equity and revenue growth.