Licensing Manager, Sports and Joint Business Planning

lOCATION:
London, Hammersmith

WORKING PATTERN:
Mon - Fri (37.5 hour s) Eligible for virtual working / flexible working

reports to: senior director, GROUP LICENSING AND RETAIL STRATEGY

This role will support the next phase of Funko’s growth in sports, with a particular focus on globally relevant properties such as football and Formula 1, while also helping expand joint business planning across selected strategic accounts.

Working closely with the Senior Director, Group Licensing and Retail Strategy, the Licensing Manager will play a key role in turning priority sports opportunities into well-managed, commercially effective licence partnerships. The role combines sports licence management, account development, and cross-functional activation, ensuring that once rights are secured, they are translated into strong product launches, aligned partner plans, and long-term commercial growth.

The role will also help broaden JBP support across a wider group of licensors and contribute to a more effective regional coverage model across EMEA, LATAM and APAC.

• Support the growth of Funko’s sports licensing business, with a focus on priority global opportunities including football and Formula 1
• Take ownership of the day-to-day management of sports licences once signed, ensuring strong partner stewardship and internal coordination
• Work cross-functionally with sales, product, planning, creative, legal and marketing teams to deliver sports launches effectively
• Maximise the commercial performance of sports licences by ensuring Funko sales teams are well connected to licensor retail teams and aligned on opportunities
• Partner with marketing teams to drive stronger integration of sports launches through DTC channels and broader go-to-market activity
• Monitor player, team and wider sports trends to help identify the most relevant opportunities, moments and product priorities
• Support business reviews, forecasting and performance tracking for sports licences, helping translate insight into action
• Lead joint business planning for selected strategic accounts beyond Funko’s largest licensors, building clear priorities and growth plans
• Help expand JBP tools, rhythms and ways of working across a broader set of partners
• Support a more balanced regional coverage model, with clearer ownership and coordination across APAC, LATAM and EMEA
• Provide regular updates to leadership on account progress, sports performance and key opportunities

• Strong licensing and/or brand management experience within consumer products, entertainment, sports or a similarly fast-paced category
• A clear understanding of how to grow a licence commercially after signature, not just how to secure the deal
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work credibly with licensors, internal stakeholders and commercial teams
• Good commercial judgement, with the ability to assess opportunity size, prioritise effectively and support forecast-driven decisions
• Experience managing cross-functional projects across multiple stakeholders and timelines
• A strong interest in sports and a good instinct for the properties, players and trends that drive fan engagement and product relevance
• The ability to connect licensing, sales and marketing activity in a way that improves execution and commercial performance
• Confidence working across global or multi-region accounts, with an appreciation for regional market differences
• A proactive, organised and self-directed working style, with the ability to manage multiple priorities at pace
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present clearly to both internal leadership and external partners
• Be able to demonstrate a ‘team player’ ethic
• Tenacity, commitment and…