Sr. Licensing Manager, Angry Birds

Description

Hybrid Work Model

Job Summary

As part of SEGA’s Transmedia West Consumer Products division, the primary scope of this position is to lead the rebuilding and re-establishment of the Angry Birds consumer products business across North, Central and South America as well as Europe. Working alongside the Vice President of SEGA Consumer Products as well as Rovio HQ in Finland, this position will play a pivotal lead role in driving the rebuilding of the massive consumer products business for the triple-A property Angry Birds. This is a newly created position to re-establish and grow the Angry Birds licensing business from the ground up Your deep experience in licensing and vision for top-tier IP consumer products will drive this ground-up, market re-establishment for Angry Birds at retail.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Overall: Own the strategic rebuilding of the Angry Birds licensing business to become a multi-million-dollar consumer product franchise in the next 3 years
• Licensing Strategy: Help develop and execute a licensing strategy for Angry Birds that aligns with broader Transmedia West and consumer products business objectives
• Business Development: Identify, pitch, and secure new licensing opportunities across apparel, collectibles, home goods, publishing, toys, and relevant consumer product categories
• Account Management: Oversee the day-to-day relationships with both hard lines and soft lines licensees, ensuring high product quality, brand consistency, and performance standards are met
• Retail: Work with the VP of licensing to plan and execute the physical and e-commerce retail strategies
• Negotiations: Lead business terms negotiations for new and renewed licensing deals, working closely with Legal, Accounting and Japan business counterparts.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams including Brand, Creative, Product Development, Legal, and Japan to optimize go-to-market plans, as well as maintaining regular communication with Rovio’s Creative and Brand teams in Finland and Europe to ensure alignment on brand strategy and product approvals.
• Market Analysis: Regularly monitor mobile gaming industry trends, competitor activity, and consumer insights to identify new opportunities and potential risks.
• Reporting & Forecasting: Manage timeliness and accuracy of licensee forecasts. Provide status updates for internal stakeholders as requested.
• Key Point of Contact - Serve as a bridge between Rovio Transmedia Team and SEGA Transmedia West’s licensing execution team. Host regular strategy/business update meetings with Rovio HQ (via video con)
• Other responsibilities are performed as assigned or needed.
• Working in-office is an essential function of this position. This requirement of face-to-face interaction is in place to ensure effective supervision, collaboration, and teamwork. In-office attendance is required for the following reasons:
• For effective supervision of employees and our work product, which includes ensuring all employees have necessary oversight of their work and access to supervisory assistance, which includes meetings to review work product, deadlines, and status.
• To foster communication and collaboration among team members, which includes the following: allowing for spontaneous brainstorming sessions and exchanges of ideas, quick access to team members to enable collaborative problem-solving, and stronger cohesion among co-workers and within teams.
• To enhance the sharing of information necessary to effective job performance and product creation.
• To enhance understanding of our stakeholders’ work and business needs, facilitate a more seamless and organic workflow, and ultimately increase efficiency and successful outcomes.
  

Qualifications

Qualifications and Skills:

• Diverse network of top-tier licensees across Apparel, Accessories, Toys and other key categories
• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Licensing, or related field. MBA is a plus.
• 7 years of progressive experience in licensing, partnerships, or business development — ideally within entertainment, gaming, or consumer products.
• Proven track record of building or re-establishing licensing programs in North America and/or Europe
• Deep understanding of contract negotiation and revenue management
• Strong negotiation skills with a thorough understanding of contract terms.
• Exceptional relationship-building and assertive interpersonal skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple projects
• Passion for video games, mobile games, pop culture, and entertainment is highly preferred
• Ability to travel as needed for stakeholder/partner meetings, trade shows, and events.
  
  
  

Bonus Qualifications

• Significant experience playing mobile games, specifically Angry Birds
• Experience working on global licensing programs
• Understanding of retail distribution channels and ecommerce dynamics.