Senior Manager, Licensing

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At McLaren, our mission is to set the standard for high performance in sport. Everyone, in every part of the team, has a role to play. So if you want to test your ideas with the world watching... And measure your progress in milliseconds... And play your part in racing history... You belong here. High performance starts with you.

Purpose of the Role:

McLaren sells a wide range of consumer merchandise and licensed products through authorised resellers, B2B activities and an expanding eComm business.

The purpose of the role is to support the Licensing Head of Consumer Products, in the day to day running of the department and leading key licensees. Key objective of the role is to see that the contractual rights are fully leveraged and maximised, while the long-term individual and company relationships are created and maintained. You will also play a crucial role in the on boarding and development of new partners and emerging categories, and leading day to day delivery of the licensing strategy.

The role will involve working with a wide variety of contacts at all levels - across the business internally with Marketing, Racing (F1, Indy, Formula E) and Automotive and with License partners and suppliers.

Role Dimensions:

• Reports to Head of Consumer Products.
• Focus of the role is leading the day-to-day operational fulfilment of key licensing partners, supporting Licensing Head of Consumer Products and managing various direct reports.
• Support the wider Licensing and Merchandise team and Senior leadership in general.
• Based at the McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, Surrey, UK.
• Permanent position - full time. Working hours are 9 - 6pm.
• This role requires travel both within the UK and internationally and consequently flexibility in working hours will be required.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Develop a deep understanding of McLaren Racings objectives and how we can leverage license partnerships to deliver against those.
• Develop a deep understanding of partner's business strategies, objectives, target growth markets, competitors and KPI's / metrics that resonate when evaluating success.
• Develop a deep understanding of McLaren's Fanbase segments as a basis for product and marketing targeting and growth opportunities.
• Manage day to day strategic relationships, implementing best practices across product, process, multi-channel marketing and reporting working closely with Digital and Comms teams.
• Manage relationship and process for IP rights and usage, design, development and production reviews, sign offs and onward process
• Establish and deliver go to market strategy and launch campaigns.
• Commercially minded creating and converting commercial and brand opportunities, be pro-active in initiatives that could strengthen the value of the partnership.
• Manage finance and royalty reporting, sales and forecasting against your partners.
• Develop and fulfil partner business plans (strategy, activation, engagement and measurement) to ensure the partner has a clear framework for success.
• Commercial business mindset to create and convert partner opportunities.
• Support in the setting of best practices for licensee management, budget management and reporting.
• Take the lead for own designated accounts, and in developing and maintaining relationships with the global stakeholders within the partner company.
• Succinctly and clearly communicate requirements, time lines and process to wider business to facilitate and deliver licensing program.
• Work closely with other members of the team to deliver monthly reporting and communications to Partners.
• Assist colleagues within the Licensing team with collective tasks and administration or additional duties as required.

Team Management:

• Manage and develop Licensing executive reportees.
• Proactively contribute to drive efficiencies across process and procedures to help drive department forward.
• Ability to work cross series, cross departmental and cross group collaboration.
• Support in the delivery and establishment of regular partner reporting procedures internally and externally to track delivery of partner KPIs.
• Develop personal credibility by behaving with humility and in a confident manner.
• Build internal reputation and knowledge of the wider business.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience across partnership management and brand extensions.
• Demonstrate a broad knowledge of core licensing, go to market and marketing principles.
• Experience of building and executing marketing campaigns across digital and physical channels and reach beyond own channels
• Ability to manage end to end process from partner on boarding through to seasonal reporting.
• Demonstrate an ability to understand our partners' own business drivers and strategies.
• Previous experience in working with and managing licensees, agencies and suppliers.
• Knowledge of, and passion for, consumer products, sport and entertainment.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritise workload and manage critical paths and projects on time.
• Presentation skills (both writing and delivery), internally and to partners / suppliers.
• Excellent communication skills - verbal and written - and attention to detail.
• Competencies required: Strategic; Commercial: Collaborative; Creative thinking; Leadership; Organisation; Influencing others.
• Good working knowledge of IT packages (e.g. MS Office suite).
• Fluent in spoken and written English (additional languages would be an advantage).

Personal Attributes:

• Personable - As one of the primary and key faces of McLaren to our licensing partners, clients and the marketplace, must be an effective and confident communicator
• Accountable - A proven winner, someone who is driven and comes with an outstanding work ethic and expects the best from themselves and their people
• Collaborative - Engages the licensing partnership ecosystem, networks and alliances to support long term success of the account
• Organised - Ability to run, track and deliver multiple workstreams and activity at the same time
• Motivated - Approaches work and delivery with good energy and proactive mindset

What can McLaren offer?

We constantly strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our ambition is to be the most pioneering and exhilarating racing team in the world, and our collective task is to set the standards for high performance in sport. We show up every day with energy and enthusiasm, ready to play our part.

We encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will actively promote a culture that values difference and eliminates discrimination in our workplace.

McLaren Racing is based at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) near Woking.

Our state of the art, sustainable campus offers many facilities including a gym, restaurant and indoor and outdoor break-out areas, as well as direct access to park and common land. The MTC is connected to Woking mainline station via regular shuttle buses, from which London Waterloo is a 30 minute train ride.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including private healthcare, car schemes, life insurance and generous pension contributions.