Director, IP Licensing & Partnerships

Teachstone

19h•$140,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Teachstone is seeking a Director of IP Licensing & Partnerships to help shape how our intellectual property, content, data, and AI-enabled capabilities are protected, extended, and translated into long-term business value. This role sits at the intersection of product, legal, technology, and go-to-market strategy. You will lead the evaluation, structuring, negotiation, and operationalization of strategic partnerships while helping establish scalable frameworks for IP governance, licensing, and responsible innovation. This is a highly cross-functional leadership role requiring strong strategic judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to balance innovation with business, legal, and operational risk. This role requires up to 25% travel.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, product strategy, licensing, IP-related roles, or adjacent leadership functions
Experience structuring and negotiating complex partnership, licensing, or vendor agreements
Experience working closely with external counsel and internal legal teams
Experience evaluating third-party vendors, platforms, or strategic technology partners
Experience operating within product or technology organizations, not solely marketing or channel partnerships
Experience managing cross-functional initiatives with executive visibility
Strong strategic, commercial, and operational judgment
Ability to navigate ambiguity and build scalable frameworks
Comfortable operating across legal, technical, product, and business conversations
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization
Able to move effectively between strategy and execution

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-enabled products, data governance, or responsible AI practices
Experience with content licensing, research-based IP, or media/content ecosystems
Background in SaaS, edtech, platform, analytics, or learning technology environments
Familiarity with video-based technologies, data-rich products, or AI-driven platforms

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic partnership opportunities across technology, research, AI, content, distribution, and platform ecosystems
Lead partnership lifecycle management from opportunity assessment through negotiation, launch, governance, and ongoing performance evaluation
Structure and negotiate agreements including licensing, integrations, co-development partnerships, vendor relationships, and data-sharing arrangements
Conduct vendor and partner evaluations with a focus on strategic fit, scalability, security, operational complexity, and long-term business value
Develop clear recommendations on whether opportunities should move forward, evolve, or be discontinued
Partner closely with Legal and Product leadership to operationalize Teachstone’s IP strategy across content, products, data, and AI-enabled experiences
Help establish governance frameworks and guardrails related to AI usage, derivative outputs, data rights, content licensing, and video-based technologies
Support protection and responsible extension of company intellectual property, trademarks, frameworks, and proprietary content
Identify and proactively mitigate risks related to IP misuse, licensing exposure, data governance, and partnership obligations
Work alongside external counsel and internal stakeholders on licensing structures, partnership agreements, and IP-related matters
Contribute to pricing, packaging, and monetization models for IP-driven offerings and partnerships
Support build vs. buy vs. partner evaluations with a strong strategic and financial perspective
Ensure partnerships align to product strategy, customer outcomes, operational readiness, and long-term company goals
Help translate emerging market opportunities into actionable business recommendations
Partner across Product, Engineering, Legal, Growth, Operations, and Executive Leadership teams
Translate complex agreements into operational plans with clear ownership, dependencies, and success measures
Drive alignment across stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives
Help establish scalable internal processes for evaluating and managing partnerships and licensing opportunities
Define and track partnership success metrics including strategic impact, adoption, revenue contribution, operational leverage, and risk exposure
Monitor partnership performance and recommend scale, optimization, renegotiation, or exit decisions
Bring a strong point of view on market trends, strategic opportunities, and emerging risks in AI, content, and education technology