Consumer Products Licensing & Brand Protection Manager

SUMMARY

Functions as the strategic lead for Subaru's consumer product licensing programs, brand protection, and trademark protection, with responsibility for program strategy, governance, cross-functional alignment, and performance. Safeguards the authorized use of Subaru trademarks, logos, and other intellectual property (IP) across internal and external channels while leading online brand enforcement, anti-counterfeiting efforts, licensing growth, category expansion, and partner oversight to protect brand integrity, reduce risk, expand Subaru brand awareness, strengthen positive brand image, and deliver measurable business value through incremental revenue and profit generation.

• Serves as the strategic steward of Subaru brand assets, setting priorities and governance to ensure consistent, compliant use of trademarks, logos, and related intellectual property (IP) across Subaru of America (SOA), retailers, licensees, agencies, and external partners.
• Leads the growth strategy for SOA’s consumer products licensing program, including category planning; portfolio and pipeline management; opportunity assessment; business case development; and alignment with brand, customer, and revenue objectives. Works closely with Subaru's parent company (Subaru Corporation [S ]) in Japan on coordination and alignment with all brand licensing functions.
• Develops and leads trademark protection, online brand enforcement, and anti-counterfeiting strategies to identify, investigate, elevate, and address unauthorized, infringing, and counterfeit uses of Subaru IP in partnership with SOA Legal, internal stakeholders, and external vendors.
• Leads Subaru’s online brand protection vendor strategy and relationship management, including priority setting, service-level oversight, performance evaluation, and reporting against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Manages Subaru’s brand registry administration and marketplace enforcement programs across key e-commerce platforms, including approvals, notice-and-takedown activity, unauthorized seller escalation, enforcement workflows, and risk-based decision-making.
• Sources, evaluates, and leads or supports the negotiation and execution of licensing agreements with new and existing licensees in partnership with SOA Legal and internal stakeholders, including business terms, category scope, quality requirements, royalty considerations, and brand-use protections.
• Reviews and approves licensed product concepts, promotional merchandise, designs, and asset use to ensure compliance with Subaru brand standards, style guide requirements, product quality expectations, and IP protections.
• Oversees licensing program operations and performance, including licensee management, product approvals, systems and tools, asset distribution, royalty reporting, compliance coordination, audit support, forecasting, launch readiness, and overall administration of the program, including Subaru Gear.

• Oversees internal SOA use of trademarks, logos, and other brand assets for promotional merchandise, employee programs, and events, and provides brand-use guidance, approvals, and recommendations as needed.
• Provides guidance to Subaru employees, retailers, owners, and owner groups on trademark use, brand standards, style guide compliance, and corrective action related to unauthorized or non‑compliant asset use.
• Coordinates and oversees agencies, investigators, contractors, and other vendors supporting brand protection, trademark enforcement, licensing operations, and related program initiatives.
• Provides day‑to‑day direction to an intern or temporary/contract resource supporting brand protection, licensed merchandise, and licensing program projects, including task assignment, progress monitoring, and quality review.
• Prepares and delivers reports and presentations on licensing performance, royalty trends, enforcement results, collaboration opportunities, and category expansion to management and cross‑functional stakeholders.

• Strong interpersonal, relationship‑building, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to work…