Vice President Licensing

Vice President Licensing page is loaded## Vice President Licensing locations:
Atlanta, GAtime type:
Full time posted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition
** Serving the needs of all families with young children,
** Carter's Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter's, Osh Kosh B'gosh, Skip
* Hop and Little Planet brands. Meaningful work, constant learning, genuine people, and a community guided by core values that promote inclusion and innovation is in everything we do. There are many reasons to build your career at Carter's.## How you'll make an impact:

The Vice President Licensing is responsible for building and scaling a profitable, brand-aligned inbound and outbound licensing program that extends the company's intellectual property across new product categories, channels, and geographies. This leader will develop and execute a comprehensive licensing strategy that complements both direct-to-consumer (DTC) and wholesale business models, driving revenue growth, brand awareness, and customer engagement.

This role requires a strategic, commercially driven leader who can balance brand stewardship with revenue optimization, manage external partnerships, and collaborate cross-functionally with merchandising, design, marketing, legal, wholesale and supply chain teams.##### Licensing Strategy & Growth 30%
* Develop and execute a multi-year licensing strategy aligned with overall brand and business objectives
* Identify new licensing opportunities across product categories, channels, and global markets, prioritizing categories close to the core of the brand
* Establish revenue targets, royalty structures, and financial forecasts for the licensing portfolio
* Evaluate and prioritize partnerships that enhance brand equity while driving incremental revenue
* Monitor competitive licensing programs, market trends, and consumer insights to identify opportunities and risks
* Conduct periodic business reviews of licensees to assess performance, identify growth opportunities, and optimize partnership models## Financial Management 30%
* Own the P&L for the licensing business, including revenue, margin, and expense management
* Track and analyze royalty income, partner performance, and category profitability
* Identify opportunities to improve financial outcomes through renegotiation, portfolio optimization, or new deals
* Ensure licensee compliance with royalty reporting, audit requirements, and contractual financial obligations## Brand Stewardship and DTC Integration 20%
* Ensure all licensed products align with brand positioning, quality standards and regulatory requirements as well as customer expectations
* Lead cross-functional alignment across merchandising, supply chain, finance, retail, eCommerce, sales, and marketing teams to support licensing initiatives and category growth
* Maintain consistency of brand voice and identity across all licensed categories and channels through clear brand guidelines and product-approval workflows## Partner Development & Management 20%
* Identify, negotiate, and onboard best-in-class licensing partners and agents
* Lead contract negotiations, including key terms such as royalties, minimum guarantees, advances, and distribution rights
* Manage ongoing partner relationships to ensure performance expectations, brand standards, and contractual obligations are met
* Collaborate with partners to optimize product assortments and go-to-market strategies## We'd Love to hear from you if:

Experience &

Education:

- 12-15+ years in consumer products, licensing, brand management, or retail, with a clear progression into program-level leadership and P&L ownership
- Demonstrated record of building or materially scaling a licensing / brand-extension program - not solely administering existing agreements

- Experience with consumer / lifestyle brands; apparel, children's products, or character / entertainment licensing is a strong plus
- Exposure to both the brand-owner and the licensee / agency side of licensing is highly valued
- Track record spanning wholesale and DTC (retail + eCommerce); international market expansion preferred
- Proven people-leadership experience managing a team, and success operating in a complex, matrixed organization
- Bachelor's degree required (business, marketing, merchandising, or related); MBA or equivalent commercial depth preferred

Competencies & Attributes:

- Commercial deal-making & negotiation
- Structures and closes royalty, guarantee,…