Director of Licensing

Lasko Products, an industry leader in home-environment innovation for over a century, is seeking a strategic and results-driven Sales Director – Licensing to lead the company’s licensing strategy and build new revenue streams across Lasko’s portfolio of trusted brands. Reporting to the VP of Sales Strategy & Business Development, this leader will identify, negotiate, and manage high-value licensing partnerships that extend Lasko’s brands into new products, categories, and consumer occasions.

This role serves as the commercial owner of Lasko’s licensing business, with end-to-end responsibility for licensing strategy, opportunity assessment, partner selection, deal development, contract negotiation, brand governance, and licensee performance. The ideal candidate brings deep experience building licensing programs, structuring commercially sound agreements, managing licensees, and protecting brand equity while delivering profitable growth.

Key Responsibilities

Licensing Strategy & Portfolio Growth

• Develop and execute a comprehensive licensing strategy aligned with Lasko’s brand, growth, and financial objectives.
• Identify opportunities to extend Lasko’s brands into new product categories, consumer segments, channels, and use occasions through licensing.
• Build and maintain a prioritized pipeline of licensing opportunities based on strategic fit, consumer relevance, market potential, and profitability.
• Develop annual licensing plans, revenue targets, royalty forecasts, and long-term portfolio growth strategies.
• Evaluate market trends, competitive activity, consumer insights, and category dynamics to identify high-potential brand extensions.
• Present licensing opportunities, business cases, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Licensee Development & Deal Execution

• Source, evaluate, qualify, and select prospective licensees with the capabilities, financial strength, distribution reach, and brand alignment required for success.
• Lead licensing discussions from initial outreach and opportunity development through term-sheet negotiation, contract execution, and launch.
• Negotiate royalty rates, minimum guarantees, advances, territories, channels, product categories, performance requirements, and renewal terms.
• Develop financial models and business cases that assess revenue potential, profitability, risk, and strategic value.
• Conduct appropriate commercial due diligence on prospective partners and licensing opportunities.
• Partner closely with Legal and Finance to structure agreements, protect Lasko’s intellectual property, and establish clear financial and performance obligations.

Licensee Performance & Commercial Management

• Manage the full lifecycle of licensing partnerships, from onboarding and product development through launch, performance management, renewal, and exit.
• Establish and monitor licensee KPIs, including royalty revenue, minimum guarantees, product launches, distribution, quality, timeliness, and brand compliance.
• Own licensing forecasts, budgets, royalty reporting, and portfolio performance reviews.
• Partner with Finance and Legal to support royalty reconciliation, contract compliance, audit activity, and timely payment collection.
• Conduct regular business reviews with licensees and develop corrective action or growth plans when performance falls below expectations.
• Evaluate renewals, expansions, amendments, and terminations based on partner performance and strategic fit.

Brand Governance & Product Approval

• Ensure all licensed products and partner activities reflect Lasko’s brand standards, quality expectations, consumer promise, and strategic positioning.
• Coordinate cross-functional review and approval of licensed concepts, product designs, packaging, marketing materials, and launch plans.
• Partner with Product Management, Engineering, Quality, Marketing, and Legal to establish clear approval processes and licensing guidelines.
• Monitor the marketplace for brand misuse, unauthorized products, channel conflicts, and other risks to Lasko’s intellectual property and reputation.
• Balance speed to market and commercial opportunity with disciplined brand stewardship and product quality.

Cross-Functional & Executive Leadership

• Serve as Lasko’s internal licensing expert and champion, building organizational understanding of licensing opportunities, economics, requirements, and risks.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and Legal to support successful licensed-product launches.
• Build executive-level relationships with licensees, agencies, brand owners, and strategic partners.
• Represent Lasko at licensing trade shows, industry events, and partner meetings to build relationships and identify new opportunities.
• Provide executive leadership with regular updates on pipeline activity, deal status, financial performance, partner risks, and portfolio growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or related advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in brand licensing, licensing sales, business development, or licensing portfolio management.
• Proven success developing and executing licensing strategies that generated measurable royalty revenue and profitable brand growth.
• Demonstrated experience sourcing, evaluating, selecting, and managing licensees across multiple product categories.
• Strong experience negotiating licensing agreements, including royalties, minimum guarantees, advances, territories, channels, approvals, and performance terms.
• Experience building licensing pipelines, financial models, business cases, forecasts, and portfolio performance reports.
• Strong understanding of intellectual property protection, brand governance, product approvals, royalty reporting, and contract compliance.
• Ability to assess potential partners based on commercial capabilities, financial strength, operational execution, distribution, quality, and brand fit.
• Background in consumer products, durable goods, home products, appliances, or a related industry preferred.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to balance revenue growth, risk management, and long-term brand equity.
• Excellent executive communication, relationship-building, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to travel as needed for partner meetings, trade shows, and industry events.

Preferred Attributes

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for building brands, partnerships, and new revenue streams.
• Established network within the licensing industry, including licensees, agencies, retailers, and brand partners.
• Comfortable operating with significant autonomy, accountability, and executive visibility.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving, and growth-oriented environments.