Dolby Careers Via - Head of Licensing, Americas

Dolby•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Via Licensing Alliance is seeking a strategic, commercially oriented Head of Licensing, Americas to lead its licensing function across the Americas. The role sets and executes regional licensing strategy, translates company objectives into market priorities and operating plans, and builds a pipeline of licensing opportunities across existing and emerging technology sectors. The successful candidate will bring intellectual property and commercial licensing expertise, people leadership, executive-level negotiation skills, and the ability to build trusted relationships with current and prospective licensees. Working with global licensing leadership and cross-functional partners, the Head of Licensing is accountable for regional performance, team effectiveness, disciplined execution, and sustainable growth. This position works closely with the VP of Licensing and represents regional perspectives in global planning and leadership discussions. This is a hybrid role, with onsite work at Via’s San Francisco office three days per week, Tuesday through Thursday. The San Francisco/Bay Area base salary range for this full-time role is $220,000–$300,000. Compensation may vary by location and is determined by factors including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training.

Requirements

12+ years of progressively responsible experience in patent legal practice and patent licensing, including significant leadership responsibility.
Demonstrated success developing and executing regional or multi-market licensing strategies and delivering measurable commercial results.
Proven experience leading, developing, and holding high-performing licensing or sales teams accountable.
Deep expertise in complex license negotiations, account strategy, pipeline management, forecasting, and senior stakeholder engagement.
Experience in technology, consumer electronics, automotive, semiconductor, media, and/or telecommunications industries.
Strong knowledge of international licensing, standards-essential patent licensing, patent pools, and relevant intellectual property laws and market practices.
Executive presence and exceptional negotiation, communication, influencing, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to synthesize market intelligence and business data, make strategic decisions, and communicate clear recommendations to senior leadership.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment.
Proficiency with CRM platforms, licensing databases, and Microsoft Office applications.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

Law degree and/or advanced degree in business or sciences.

Responsibilities

Define and lead the licensing strategy for the Americas with the VP of Licensing, aligning regional priorities, market coverage, and execution plans with global business objectives.
Lead and develop the Americas licensing function by establishing goals, operating rhythms, performance expectations, and accountability.
Own regional licensing performance, including pipeline development, forecasting, account prioritization, revenue objectives, and progress against strategic targets.
Identify and evaluate market opportunities across the Americas and translate industry, technology, and competitive insights into account and licensing strategies.
Build and maintain senior-level relationships with decision-makers at prospective and existing licensees.
Lead complex, high-value license negotiations from initial engagement through execution, partnering with internal and external legal counsel to structure and finalize agreements.
Represent regional perspectives and opportunities in global licensing strategy, planning, and leadership discussions.
Partner with Program Management, Legal, Finance, Accounting, Operations, and other cross-functional teams to coordinate execution and align with broader business priorities.
Monitor industry trends, competitive dynamics, standards-essential patent developments, and regional intellectual property and licensing matters that may affect business strategy or execution.
Provide senior management with data-driven reporting on regional performance, pipeline health, forecasts, risks, and recommended actions.
Champion disciplined use of CRM and other commercial tools to improve visibility, decision-making, account management, and forecasting accuracy.