Senior Director, Enterprise Licensing & Partnerhships in Oxford

About The Role

The Director, Enterprise Licensing & Partnerships is a quota‑carrying commercial leadership role with direct ownership of substantial, recurring revenue across Wiley’s most strategically significant secondary licensing accounts. The role transforms complex, multi-dimensional partner relationships into strategic advantage, capturing revenue from Wiley’s intellectual property through secondary licensing models that complement and protect primary sales. The role carries a dual mandate: managing strategic partnerships with major platforms, aggregators, and collective management organisations; and leading standalone licensing businesses including permissions, translations, document delivery, abstracting and indexing, audio rights, and EdTech licensing. Additionally, the Director serves as Wiley’s foremost internal authority on licensing and copyright, partnering with Legal and representing the company in industry forums and rights organisations.

Job Responsibilities

• Commercial Performance & Revenue Ownership: Own and deliver an annual revenue quota spanning all secondary licensing lines. Drive growth through proactive account development, deal optimisation, and identification of new opportunities within established relationships. Establish pricing, commercial frameworks, and deal structures— including minimum guarantees, revenue shares, statutory distributions, audio fees, and EdTech partnership fees. Maintain accurate forecasting across all revenue lines with clear pipeline visibility for senior leadership.
• Licensing, Copyright & Permissions Expertise: Serve as Wiley’s primary internal authority on copyright law, licensing frameworks, and collective licensing across all content types and territories. Partner with Legal on copyright strategy, AI rights governance, and the commercial implications of regulatory developments. Represent Wiley at CCC, CLA, PLS, VG Wort, and equivalent international bodies. Provide advisory support to AI commercial teams where existing rights structures or partnerships are implicated.
• Strategic Aggregator & Platform Partnerships: Own enterprise‑level relationships with major platform partners with full accountability for commercial outcomes and the strategic relationship. Manage multi‑year agreements requiring C‑suite engagement, sophisticated negotiation, and cross‑divisional coordination. Ensure partnership agreements evolve appropriately as AI rights considerations emerge.
• Audio Rights Licensing: Own Wiley’s audio rights programme, including relationships with Recorded Books and other audiobook and digital audio partners. Develop commercial models including per‑title fees, royalties, and platform licensing; manage the content pipeline with Trade editorial teams. Monitor the audiobook and digital audio market and advise on strategic opportunities.
• EdTech & Digital Licensing Partnerships: Own the EdTech licensing portfolio (Coursera, Perfection Learning, and equivalents) across higher education, corporate, and K–12 markets. Develop licensing frameworks including content integration agreements, courseware licensing, and platform distribution deals. Work closely with the Learning commercial team to ensure EdTech activity aligns with Wiley’s Learning sales strategy and avoids channel conflict.
• Collective Licensing & RRO/CMO Relationships: Lead global RRO and CMO engagement, managing statutory licensing frameworks and distribution agreements. Engage proactively on evolving digital and AI licensing frameworks to protect and grow Wiley’s revenue position.
• A&I Relationships: Own commercial A&I agreements with Scopus/Elsevier, Web of Science, and equivalents. Lead renegotiations and advise on the strategic implications of the evolving A&I landscape.
• Permissions, Translations & Document Delivery: Provide strategic direction for these established licensing operations, ensuring governance, service standards, and margin visibility. Drive systems adoption, process standardisation, and team capability development.
• Channel Strategy & IP Protection: Establish frameworks that prevent channel conflict between secondary licensing and primary sales. Close gaps in IP monetisation, ensuring no revenue opportunity falls between divisional structures.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership & Governance: Serve as the commercial voice for licensing in cross‑functional discussions across Technology, Finance, Legal, Publishing, Strategy, and Marketing. Establish governance frameworks for consistent, compliant rights management across all divisions.

Required Qualifications

• Degree‑level education or equivalent; formal qualification in copyright law, IP, or licensing strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years in licensing, rights management, strategic partnerships, or IP with seniority and revenue accountability.
• Proven track record against a revenue quota across a complex, multi‑line licensing portfolio.
• Recognised copyright and licensing authority sought by Legal, Commercial, and senior leadership.
• Track record of managing complex, multi‑year partnerships at C‑suite level.
• Experience working with legal and policy teams; ability to translate between commercial and legal perspectives.
• Demonstrated external representation in industry forums, rights bodies, or policy discussions.
• Experience building and leading specialist teams across multiple licensing disciplines.
• Experience managing audio rights or media licensing is highly desirable.
• Deep knowledge of copyright law, collective licensing, and rights management across multiple territories.
• Strong commercial acumen; ability to structure deals and defend positions at board level.
• Executive presence and relationship skills to operate at the highest levels with major platform partners.
• Collaborative leadership across divisions without always having formal authority.
• Operational discipline to bring governance and rigour to mature licensing operations while remaining growth‑focused.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in intellectual property, law, or related field.
• Active participation in CCC, CLA, PLS, STM, or equivalent industry bodies.
• Experience spanning Research and Learning content markets.
• International licensing experience and familiarity with non‑US frameworks.
• Track record engaging with policymakers on copyright or content licensing.
• Familiarity with emerging AI rights frameworks and their intersection with traditional licensing.
• Familiarity with the EdTech marketplace, including digital courseware distribution models.

Salary Range: 96,900 GBP to 141,967 GBP

We are committed to fair, transparent pay, and we strive to provide competitive compensation in addition to a comprehensive benefits package. Wiley is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We evaluate all qualified applicants and treat all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or based on any individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Wiley is also committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants who require accommodation to participate in the job application process may contact tasupport@wiley.com for assistance.