Licensing Business Development Manager

About The Role

Earthbound Brands is a brand licensing agency that builds and manages licensing programs on behalf of a diverse portfolio of clients spanning food & beverage, home, pet, celebrity, and entertainment brands. Our Licensing team is organized into two groups: Sales (licensee business development) and Brand/Product (program and product management). This role sits on the Sales side and reports to the Director, Licensing – Business Development.

What you’ll do

• Prospecting & pipeline development
• Research and build targeted prospecting lists of potential licensee partners by category, channel, and brand fit across the Director’s client portfolio
• Drive outreach to prospective licensees — initiating conversations, qualifying interest, and moving leads through the pipeline
• Track and maintain pipeline status across client accounts, keeping CRM and internal tracking tools current and accurate
• Monitor the competitive landscape and flag relevant licensee activity, category trends, and white-space opportunities
• Deal support & licensee relationships
• Support the Director in deal negotiations — attending meetings, preparing proposal materials, and coordinating with legal on contract flow as needed
• Participate in client and licensee meetings, building relationships that support long-term program growth
• Aid in preparing client-facing materials including state-of-business reports, prospecting summaries, and deal recaps
• Identify and surface cross-client opportunities where existing licensee relationships could drive incremental business
• Support trade show strategy and execution including Licensing Expo, Toy Expo, Food Shows and more — research, scheduling, outreach coordination, and follow-up
• Attend key meetings and represent the Sales team at industry events as needed
• Cross-functional coordination
• Partner with the Brand & Product team and legal on deal flow logistics
• Maintain organized records of licensee contacts, outreach history, and deal status across the portfolio

What you’ll bring

• 2–4 years of experience in licensing, sales, business development, or a closely related field — licensing industry experience strongly preferred
• Strong prospecting and research instincts — you can identify the right licensee partners for a brand, build a pipeline from scratch, and keep it moving
• Comfort in client and licensee-facing settings — professional, polished, and able to represent Earthbound credibly in meetings
• Clear, persuasive written and verbal communication
• Familiarity with licensing deal structures — royalties, minimum guarantees, category rights — a meaningful plus
• Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple client portfolios simultaneously
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; CRM experience a plus (Monday.com)

Location, schedule & travel

The office is in the Flatiron District of NYC; the team is in office Mondays–Wednesdays. The role includes some domestic travel to clients and key industry events, including Licensing Expo.

Compensation

$65,000–$85,000 base salary, plus eligibility for a performance-based bonus tied to portfolio results.