Licensing Director

Homage • Columbus, OH

57d • Remote

About The Position

The Licensing Director is responsible for leading HOMAGE's licensing strategy, managing key licensor relationships, and driving business growth through high-value licensing agreements. This role serves as the strategic counterpart to the Licensing Operations Lead, focusing on negotiations, portfolio expansion, and external relationship management. The Director will partner closely with the SVP of Business Development & Licensing, who maintains primary executive relationships and serves as final signatory, while ensuring day-to-day licensing needs are owned and executed by the Licensing Operations Lead. The Licensing Director will also play a critical and equal role in fostering a strong partnership between Licensing, Forecasting, and Finance functions. This role will ensure integrated planning, clear financial guardrails, and shared accountability for performance.

Requirements

• 7-10+ years in licensing/business development, ideally in sports, entertainment, or consumer products.
• Proven experience in deal-making, negotiations, and portfolio management.
• Strong executive relationship management skills.
• Familiarity with licensing contracts, royalties, and rights.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills; ability to mentor and collaborate across teams.
• Strong strategic thinking with commercial acumen.
• Enthusiasm for HOMAGE's brand, acting as an ambassador with external licensing partners.

Nice To Haves

• legal/IP background or experience with large-scale renewals and licensing workflows.

Responsibilities

• Strategic renewals and new deals executed on time with optimal terms.
• Expanded, profitable licensing portfolio aligned with HOMAGE growth.
• Strong licensor satisfaction and market reputation as a top partner.
• Clear alignment between licensing, wholesale, and brand strategy.
• Develop and refine HOMAGE's licensing strategy in line with business goals and revenue targets.
• Lead sourcing, evaluation, and negotiation of new IP opportunities.
• Identify and evaluate new licensing partners and promotional opportunities that align with HOMAGE brand growth.
• Manage major renewals and long-term planning (e.g., 2026 renewals, portfolio pruning/expansion).
• Serve as the main point of contact for licensors on strategic matters, while Operations Lead manages submissions and compliance.
• Build strong partnerships across entertainment, sports, and media licensors, ensuring HOMAGE is viewed as a "favorite licensee."
• Maintain close collaboration with the SVP, who will join select key meetings (e.g., NFL, Disney) and execute agreements.
• Oversee the Licensing Agreement Workflow (coordination with Legal, Finance, Ops).
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external counsel on contract terms, boilerplate language, and RFP for licensing-focused legal support.
• Create and maintain standardized snapshots of key licensing business terms for internal alignment.
• Partner with Creative, Marketing, Legal, Finance, and Operations to ensure licensing strategies are executed effectively.
• Provide guidance to the Licensing Operations Lead, ensuring they have the clarity, tools, and support to manage submissions, trackers, onboarding, and compliance.
• Partner closely with Forecasting and Royalty/Finance teams to establish a regular cadence of information-sharing and planning, ensuring alignment on contribution margin goals, licensing forecasts, and financial guardrails.
• Serve as the primary licensing counterpart to Forecasting and Finance ensuring streamlined data flow, accountability, and integration of licensing performance into broader financial planning processes.
• Build a collaborative "triangle" between Licensing, Forecasting, and Finance to move from reactive to proactive performance management

Benefits

• The opportunity to be a part of collaborative, fun team environment
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Life insurance paid 100% by HOMAGE with the opportunity to purchase additional coverage
• 401k with Employer Match
• HSA, FSA & Dependent Care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Career growth and development
• Paid Time Off
• Team Member discount on HOMAGE products

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Apparel Manufacturing
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees