What are the responsibilities and job description for the Licensing Specialist position at McLaren Racing?
Arrow McLaren is McLaren Racing’s IndyCar team, located in Indianapolis at its new McLaren Racing Center headquarters on the northwest side of the city. By joining our team, you’ll be part of an exhilarating racing program that aims to set the standard for high performance in sport. Our values define what matters most to us:
Innovative – Respectful – Inclusive – Energetic – Brave
Every day, we want members of this team to come to work with a simple goal in mind: Build better race cars and develop better ways to go racing. Focus on the process, enjoy the process of continual improvement and the results will take care of themselves.
Purpose of the Role:
The Licensing Specialist supports the execution of Arrow McLaren's licensing and merchandise programs in collaboration with the McLaren Racing Licensing team. Serving as the primary day-to-day liaison between Arrow McLaren and McLaren Racing's global licensing function, this role helps bring licensed products, retail initiatives and merchandise programs to life for the INDYCAR market.
The Licensing Specialist is responsible for supporting licensing initiatives, managing key retail and vendor relationships, maintaining sales and royalty reporting, identifying opportunities to maximize fan engagement through licensed products and merchandise, and contributing to the licensing marketing plan and content. This role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
Principal Accountabilities:
Licensing Administration & Coordination
Serve as the primary day-to-day Arrow McLaren contact for the McLaren Racing Licensing team.
Support the execution of McLaren Racing's licensing strategy within the INDYCAR market.
Coordinate licensing initiatives, product launches and promotional activities between McLaren Racing, Arrow McLaren and licensing partners.
Facilitate product approvals, artwork and branding reviews and licensing requests through established approval processes.
Maintain strong communication with internal stakeholders and external licensing partners to ensure timely execution of projects and initiatives.
Provide market insights, sales performance updates and consumer feedback to support McLaren Racing's licensing objectives.
Merchandise Operations
Manage team’s merchandise ordering processes, including annual order windows and special event merchandise requests.
Coordinate purchase orders, inventory requests and product fulfillment with vendors and licensing partners.
Oversee the team's partner B2B merchandise store, including product assortment updates, inventory coordination and order management.
Support merchandise planning and execution for key events, including the Indianapolis 500 and NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekends.
Assist with inventory planning and product availability to support internal stakeholders, partners and fans.
Retail & Vendor Management
Serve as the day-to-day contact for the team's trackside merchandise vendor.
Liaise with INDYCAR's merchandise team to support Arrow McLaren product visibility and availability across trackside and e-commerce retail channels.
Monitor inventory levels, product performance and retail execution throughout the season.
Assist in identifying opportunities to improve the fan retail experience and merchandise performance.
Reporting & Commercial Insights
Compile, maintain and distribute monthly, quarterly and annual licensing sales, royalty and revenue reports through Brand Comply platform.
Track key performance metrics and provide actionable insights to Arrow McLaren and McLaren Racing stakeholders.
Support forecasting, budgeting and business planning efforts through accurate reporting and analysis.
Marketing & Promotional Support
Collaborate with Marketing, Communications and Social Media teams to support merchandise and licensing campaigns.
Coordinate with McLaren Racing and licensing partners on product launches, retail promotions and merchandise-focused activations.
Contribute product information, imagery and promotional assets for digital, social media and marketing initiatives.
Identify opportunities to increase awareness and engagement around licensed products and merchandise offerings.
Required Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Licensing, Marketing, Business, Sports Management or a related field.
Two to four years of experience in licensing, merchandise operations, retail management, consumer products or a related commercial role.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
Strong analytical skills and experience working with sales, inventory or revenue reporting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with internal teams, external partners and vendors.
Preferred Experience:
Experience in professional sports, motorsports, entertainment licensing or consumer products.
Familiarity with licensing programs, royalty reporting and merchandise operations.
Experience working with e-commerce platforms, inventory management systems or retail reporting tools, i.e. Brand Comply.
Knowledge of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and motorsports industry.
Competencies:
Strong attention to detail and commitment to operational excellence.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
Collaborative mindset with a proactive approach to problem solving.
Passion for motorsports, fan engagement and brand development.
Travel Requirements:
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required, up to 15%, including some IndyCar race weekends.
Total Rewards:
Comprehensive Medical, Dental, & Vision benefits
401(k) retirement plan with company match
Voluntary life, short-term and long-term disability benefits
Annual bonus opportunity
Competitive paid time off and company holidays
Employee wellbeing resources and programs
Company discounts, including kit apparel
Arrow McLaren is committed to equal employment opportunity. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, ethnicity, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.