Who We Are
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Why Authentic
You’ll be able to access the resources and scale, while leveraging innovative technology and nimble environment. What we’re saying is, this isn’t your average day job. If you’re hungry to drive ideas into action and own your career, let’s chat. Our team is rapidly innovating to evolve and define the future of our brands. With the help of some of the brightest minds in retail, marketing, licensing, legal and more, we are building the intersection of digital and experiential marketing to help achieve that mission. We reimagine, evolve and transform brands! At Authentic, we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity of thought and expertise drive competitive advantage. Our global teams are built by go-getters who contribute unique perspectives and push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Headquartered in New York City, Authentic has offices in major metropolitan cities including Los Angeles and Miami, as well as Toronto, Mexico City, London, and Shanghai.
What You’ll Do
This role will support the growth and management of Authentic’s character IP portfolio in China, with responsibilities spanning both Business Development and Brand Management. If you’re a strategic thinker with a strong understanding of IP and a creative, commercial mindset, we’d like to meet you.
The ideal candidate combines a strong commercial mindset with hands-on character IP and licensing experience. You will be responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities, driving licensing deals from prospecting through closing, and managing partnerships after signing to ensure successful execution and long-term growth.
You will also support the development and execution of brand strategies in China, working closely with licensees, retailers, marketing partners and internal teams to build culturally relevant and commercially successful programs for our character IP portfolio.
What You'll Be Working On
Business Development & Partnership Growth
- Develop new licensing and commercial opportunities for Authentic’s character IP portfolio in China across relevant product categories, retail channels and strategic collaborations.
- Leverage an established industry network to proactively identify and introduce high-quality prospective licensees, retailers, brands and strategic partners.
- Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified business opportunities aligned with each IP’s brand strategy and commercial objectives.
- Identify key decision makers, establish relationships and develop compelling partnership proposals tailored to prospective partners.
- Lead the licensing deal process from initial discussion through proposal, commercial negotiation, term sheet and contract execution.
- Work closely with internal Business Development, Legal, Finance and Brand teams to structure commercially attractive and strategically appropriate partnerships.
- Identify opportunities to expand existing partnerships into new categories, channels, programs or collaborations.
Brand Strategy & Brand Management
- Support the development and execution of China market strategies for assigned character IPs, translating global brand direction into locally relevant commercial opportunities and activations.
- Develop a strong understanding of each IP’s positioning, target consumer, storytelling, style guidelines and key brand priorities.
- Serve as a key day-to-day contact for assigned licensees and partners following deal execution.
- Guide licensees on brand positioning, style guidelines, product direction, marketing initiatives and partnership requirements.
- Coordinate with internal and global teams on product, creative and marketing approvals to ensure projects are delivered on-brand and on schedule.
- Manage multiple licensee projects and timelines simultaneously, proactively identifying issues and driving projects toward successful execution.
- Partner with licensees to develop launch plans, retail programs, marketing activations and other initiatives that strengthen consumer engagement and brand visibility.
- Monitor licensee performance and partnership health, identifying challenges as well as opportunities for further growth.
Partnership Success & Market Development
- Take an end-to-end view of partnerships, ensuring that signed deals translate into successful products, launches, marketing programs and sustainable business.
- Build strong, trusted relationships with licensees and understand their business needs, capabilities and growth priorities.
- Connect partners where appropriate to create broader brand ecosystems across licensing, retail, marketing, content and collaborations.
- Stay closely connected to China consumer, retail, character IP and licensing trends and translate market insights into actionable opportunities.
- Monitor competitive character IPs, emerging partners, category trends and relevant cultural moments to identify new areas of growth.
- Represent assigned IPs internally and externally as a knowledgeable brand and commercial partner.
What You will Need
- 5+ years of relevant experience in character IP licensing, brand management, business development, consumer products or related fields in China, with demonstrated experience in character, entertainment, lifestyle or consumer IP commercialization.
- Strong existing network across China’s licensing ecosystem, including licensees, consumer brands, retailers, agencies and strategic partners, with the ability to originate new business opportunities.
- Proven full-cycle business development experience, including prospecting, pitching, commercial negotiation and closing licensing or partnership deals.
- Hands-on experience managing licensees and partnerships after deal signing, including execution, long-term partnership growth, product and marketing approvals, and brand governance.
- Familiarity with character IP style guides and product development and approval processes.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple partners, categories and timelines, and a good understanding of China’s retail, e-commerce, social media and consumer landscape.
- Ability to work effectively across local, regional and global teams in a fast-paced international environment; fluency in Mandarin and strong professional English communication skills.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; willing and able to travel as required.
Fraud Alert: Unauthorized Job Offers and Impersonations
We have been made aware of fraudulent job offers and interview requests being sent by individuals falsely claiming to represent Authentic. These scams are often initiated via email, employment websites and social media, and may include fake interview requests, offer letters or attempts to collect personal and financial information.
Please note:
- All legitimate Authentic job postings can be found only on our official website (authentic.com) or through our verified LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareauthentic).
- Authentic does not conduct interviews over Teams or Zoom without prior email correspondence from a verified @authentic.com email address.
- We will never ask you for sensitive personal information, payment or banking details as part of the hiring process.
If you believe you've been contacted by someone impersonating an Authentic team member, please report it immediately by emailing [email protected].
Authentic is an equal-opportunity employer and we value and embrace the diversity and inclusion of all Team Members. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status.
For individuals with disabilities or religious obligations who would like to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected]
To access Authentic' s Privacy Policy, which contains information regarding data collected from job applicants and how we use it, please click here: https://authentic.com/pages/privacy-policy
Skills Required
- 8+ years of experience in IP licensing, business development, or related areas in the China market
- Full-cycle business development experience, including lead generation, prospecting, negotiation, and deal closing
- Strong knowledge of IP licensing, licensees, product categories, and key retail accounts
- Proactive and commercially driven mindset with the ability to identify, develop, and pursue new business opportunities
- Proven experience negotiating licensing agreements and developing creative commercial solutions
- Ability to build strong relationships with licensees, understand business needs, and identify growth opportunities
- Strong understanding of the China licensing landscape, market dynamics, and industry best practices
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent
- Willingness and ability to travel occasionally as required
What We Do
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing and entertainment company, which owns a portfolio of global media, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Headquartered in New York City, ABG elevates and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass and e-commerce channels and in more than 6,100 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. ABG’s portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O'Neal®, David Beckham®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Sports Illustrated®, Reebok®, Eddie Bauer®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Nautica®, Izod®, Forever 21®, Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Nine West®, Jones New York®, Frederick's of Hollywood®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Van Heusen®, Arrow®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Vision Street Wear®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Herve Leger®, Frye®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Thomasville®, Drexel® and Henredon®. For more information, visit authenticbrands.com.
