Director of Licensing

SiFive•Austin, CA

About The Position

SiFive is seeking a Director of IP Licensing to serve as a key architect of SiFive’s commercial growth. Reporting to the SVP of Product, you will sit at the intersection of Product, Sales, and Legal to drive high-value IP transactions and define the long-term economic strategy for our CPU portfolio. You won't just manage deals; you will own the business model that scales SiFive’s footprint globally.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in commercial roles (eg IP licensing, Business Development or Strategic Marketing) in the semiconductor industry.
Deep understanding of semiconductor IP licensing commercial models and terms, with previous experience of drafting commercial agreements
Ability to understand and discuss CPU IP and SoC level requirements fluently with sales, customers and other stakeholders
Experience building complex revenue forecast models
Proven ability to see the bigger picture and drive change that impacts the overall success of the business
Proven track record of working across many teams on a global scale to get things done.
Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science), Marketing, or Business.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with RISC-V or ARM architectures / CPU licensing specifically.

Responsibilities

Lead the structuring of complex IP licensing deals.
Partner with Sales, Product Management and Legal to develop bespoke commercial terms, incentive structures, and quotations that secure design wins while protecting SiFive’s long-term interests.
Own and evolve the multi-year business plan for the IP business.
Incorporate market shifts (e.g., the rise of custom compute) and customer feedback to forecast revenue and identify new growth vectors.
Innovate on pricing models to move beyond "standard" licensing to enable SiFive to address a wide range of customers in the most appropriate way.
Analyze existing royalty streams and historical data to ensure future agreements are optimized to maximise long term revenue.
Own the global "Price Book."
Ensure pricing is consistent, competitive, and clearly communicated to field teams to enable rapid, autonomous execution in the region.
Streamline the "Lead-to-Fulfillment" workflow.
Ensure that commercial approvals, contractual compliance, and order fulfillment processes are frictionless across global teams.