Assistant Licensing Manager

Description

The Assistant Brand Licensing Manager supports the growth, management, protection, and strategic expansion of the global General Motors licensing program - including Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Buick, GM Defense, Racing and Heritage Brands - with a strong emphasis on diecast replicas, toys, remote control vehicles, video games, and accessories. This role works closely with the Licensing Managers, internal brand teams, external licensees, and cross-functional partners to ensure licensed products are consistent with brand equities, align with brand standards, elevate the brand, engage with existing and new consumers, support business goals, and contribute to revenue growth. The ideal candidate possesses a strong automotive background and is detail-oriented, collaborative, and comfortable managing multiple projects and partners simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities:

Licensing Program Management

• Support the Licensing Manager in all facets of the licensing program with an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Assist with establishing licensing strategies, financial budgeting, trend and gap analysis, licensing contract management, brand protection, and competitive benchmarking.
• Continually analyze and identify opportunities to drive/grow the business in both existing and new categories.

• Oversee day-to-day relationships with assigned licensees, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and brand standards.
• Monitor performance, including sales results, product development progress, and marketing execution.
• Support annual business planning, forecasting, and performance reviews for assigned partners.
• Onboarding of new licensees and assist with asset files, paint chips, and CAD files.

• Review and approve licensed product concepts, packaging, and marketing materials to ensure alignment with brand guidelines and quality standards from initial concept designs to final production approvals.
• Track approval timelines and maintain organized documentation across all product categories.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to licensees to support timely and successful product development.

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the licensing department and internal merchandise managers and brand teams.
• Communicate brand priorities, positioning, and creative direction to licensees.
• Coordinate cross-functional input (creative, legal, marketing, product, and finance) to support licensing initiatives.

• Assist in identifying and evaluating new licensing opportunities across categories and markets.
• Support the preparation of pitch materials, category analyses, and competitive landscape reviews.
• Participate in onboarding new partners, ensuring smooth transitions into the licensing program.
• Analytical skills to support business development and partner performance evaluation.

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years' experience in brand management, partnerships, or other marketing roles - ideally in the CPG industry.
• Experience structuring and negotiating licensing deals from sourcing through execution, with strong knowledge of licensing agreements and brand strategy.
• Proven success collaborating cross-functionally across marketing, merchandising, sales, and other internal stakeholders.
• Strong creative background and experience utilizing PowerPoint, CANVA and Adobe to assist with presentations, concept designs, packaging guidelines, and brand style guide development.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, forecasting, or royalty modeling is a plus.
• Strong negotiation skills and knowledge of licensing contract structures.
• Independent and strategic thinker with experience presenting business analysis on new business opportunities.
• Strong business acumen and attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills