Vice President, Licensing & Partnerships

Playboy Enterprises, Inc.•Miami Beach, FL

About The Position

Playboy is one of the most recognized brands in the world — present in 180+ countries, with cultural equity that spans seven decades of groundbreaking media, fashion, and lifestyle. We are rebuilding the brand for the next generation: new editorial, new audience infrastructure, and a licensing business that reflects the full commercial potential of what Playboy stands for. The VP of Licensing & Partnerships is a senior commercial leadership role at the center of that rebuild. You will own Playboy’s global licensing and partnership business end-to-end — deal origination, renewal pipeline, category expansion, brand standards enforcement, and the day-to-day commercial relationship with CAA, our licensee base, and our advertising partners. This is a rare opportunity to step into one of the world’s most storied brands at a genuine inflection point, with direct access to senior leadership and a mandate to build the commercial infrastructure that makes the brand’s cultural moment grow financially. The role requires a rare combination of commercial expertise, cultural fluency, and a genuine understanding of how lifestyle brands build long-term equity through relevant expansion. The role reports directly to the President of Playboy Media & Brand; the VP of Licensing & Partnerships and the Editor-in-Chief serve as the two primary cross-functional owners of the media-licensing flywheel.

Requirements

Proven track record managing a global licensing portfolio with material royalty revenue — you have owned renewal negotiations, enforced brand standards, and expanded categories.
Deep relationships in the licensing and brand partnership ecosystem; you are known in the market and can open doors independently of the agency relationship.
Commercial instinct: you understand the economics of licensing deals, can model minimum guarantees and royalty structures, and know when to push and when to close.
Ability to build financial models and projections to evaluate potential deals and long-term revenue streams before bringing them forward for approval.
Equally strong as a relationship manager and a deal executor — this role requires both, and the balance matters.
Understanding of brand governance — creative approvals, retail standards, digital brand experience — and the operational discipline to enforce it across a large licensee base.
Strong cross-functional communicator; comfortable translating commercial priorities into editorial language and vice versa.
Executive presence and polish appropriate to senior partner and licensee relationships.
Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability — you thrive in environments where you are building as much as managing.
Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as required by partner relationships, licensee meetings, and industry events.
10+ years of progressive experience in brand licensing, partnerships, or commercial development, with at least 4 years in a senior or VP-level role.
Demonstrated track record of closing deals, managing complex multi-partner portfolios, and hitting revenue targets.
Bachelor’s degree required

Nice To Haves

Experience working with or managing external licensing agencies; familiarity with CAA or comparable intermediaries a strong plus.
Experience in consumer lifestyle, fashion, entertainment, or media licensing strongly preferred.
MBA or equivalent a plus.

Responsibilities

Licensing Portfolio Management
Develop and own the portfolio category strategy — identifying where Playboy has the strongest commercial traction, where there is untapped opportunity, and where to exit.
Own the full global licensing portfolio — apparel, accessories, fragrance, lifestyle, gaming, and emerging categories — with accountability for total royalty revenue and minimum guarantee performance.
Lead a comprehensive portfolio audit covering renewal schedules, revenue concentration, brand standards compliance, and channel gaps; deliver findings and a prioritized action plan within the first 60 days.
Manage all licensee relationships with commercial rigor: regular business reviews, sell-through tracking, renewal negotiations, and proactive category expansion conversations.
Own the full commercial relationship with CAA — setting priorities, managing deal flow, and ensuring the agency is activated as a strategic partner rather than a passive intermediary.
Enforce brand standards across every licensee activation — creative approvals, packaging, retail presentation, and digital — with zero tolerance for off-brand execution.
Own the Amazon brand governance strategy — coordinating the current multi-licensee model under Playboy’s Brand Registry account and defining the long-term channel approach that best serves the brand’s commercial interests and standards.
Deal Origination & Category Expansion
Identify and close new licensing opportunities in underpenetrated categories, with a bias toward partners who bring distribution, marketing, and co-creation capability alongside commercial commitment.
Build and maintain an active pipeline of prospective licensees across priority categories in partnership with CAA; own the internal deal process, negotiation strategy, and execution end-to-end.
Leverage editorial tentpoles, cover moments, and audience data to support licensing negotiations and new partner pitches.
Track lifestyle and consumer trends, monitor the competitive landscape, and identify cultural opportunities that keep the brand’s licensing portfolio at the forefront of the market.
Sponsorship & Brand Partnerships
Own sponsorship relationships across Playboy’s content, events, and digital platforms — building the category pipeline that monetizes the brand’s audience at scale.
Develop and sell integrated sponsorship packages that combine print, digital, podcast, and event touchpoints into high-value brand partner programs.
Drive the event sponsorship commercial model in partnership with the Sr. Director of Growth — category exclusivity, co-brand rights, on-site activation, and audience data sharing.
Build and maintain relationships with senior marketing decision-makers at target partner brands across alcohol, gaming, automotive, personal care, fashion, and lifestyle categories.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Lead and develop a growing team currently including two Product Development roles and a Director of Advertising & Sponsorships, with the expectation that the team will scale in line with the business.
Serve as the primary licensing counterpart to the EIC — ensuring a shared editorial-licensing calendar, regular alignment on upcoming tentpoles and partner launches, and explicit accountability for surfacing each function’s moments in advance.
Partner with the Sr. Director of Growth on events commercial structure, contest sponsorship packaging, and audience data sharing with licensee co-promotion programs.
Work with Finance to maintain the licensing revenue model, forecast renewal risk, and track minimum guarantee performance against plan.
Represent Playboy’s licensing business at industry conferences, partner meetings, and trade events including the Las Vegas licensing conference.
Monitor and report on category and partner performance to executive leadership; this role will present regularly to senior leadership and, as relevant, to the board.

Benefits

Competitive Medical/Dental/Vision insurance plans with FSA/HSA and Dependent Care FSA options
Generous Family and Parental Leave Policy
Pet Insurance for those who need it too!
Dedicated Health and Wellness resources including Employee Assistance Program
Pretax Transportation/Commuter Benefits options
Employee Resource Groups
401K program with Company match
Flexible Time Away Plan
Dynamic, inclusive workplace culture focused on innovation, impact, and employee well-being

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