Licensing & Branding Specialist

Primary Job Title: Licensing & Branding Specialist Location: Framingham, MA Onsite Flexibility: Hybrid — 2 days on-site per week Contract Details Position Type: Contract Start: As Soon As Possible Pay Rate: $29.00–$31.00 / Hour (USD) Shift / Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. Job Summary: The Licensing & Branding Specialist supports the contractual obligations under licensing agreements through the onboarding and usage monitoring of In-House Licensed Brands. They are responsible for Licensed Brand resource creation and maintenance which includes ongoing communication with Licensors; Purchase Order tracking; internal and external reporting; and processing royalty payments owed to third-parties. They are also expected to contribute to global education and training initiatives that support the organization in the strategic and compliant use of our Licensed Brands, as well as partner in the development of new tools and processes. Key Responsibilities Monitoring for Compliance: Correspond and follow up with Buyers/MAs weekly re: PO data inquiries (through to resolution) across all divisions Manual tracking of exception PO cases using Licensed Brands Data validation of Licensed Brand orders – identify/escalate any PO issues Reporting and Royalty Payments: Generate and distribute ad hoc, weekly, monthly, quarterly reporting internal to PD, Merchandising, and Financial divisions Generate and distribute ad hoc, weekly, monthly, quarterly reporting external to Licensors Review and submit all corresponding monthly or quarterly royalty payments for approval On-boarding Licensed Brands: Create and maintain Licensed Brand resources for new agreements, amendments, renewals, and terminations Support Branding and Packaging teams as well as freelancers on finalizing licensed brand launches and format for distribution Organize brand assets from Licensor (e.g. trend books, inspo, prints, etc.) Set up new licensed brands as suppliers with E/P; manage changes to brand contacts/addresses/payment info Education & Brand/Category Requests: Support the education of the Licensed Brand portfolio Support ad hoc brand category inquiries from Merchants and PD with EVP & Licensor through the review of existing licensing agreement terms and make recommendations to Licensing & Branding Management Support ad hoc inquiries from Licensors and escalate as needed Training Support: Partner with Licensing & Branding Management on key training initiatives across the corporation (including but not limited to: Merchants, MAs, Buying Offices, Sourcing Specialists, etc.) Conduct Licensed Brand trainings for Merchandising Operations globally in partnership with Licensing & Branding Manager Create and modify Merchandising Operations training materials as needed Process Improvement: Partner with Licensing & Branding Management on projects that aim to increase efficiencies and mitigate risks Support technology rollouts and innovation initiatives Brand DNA, Product and Packaging Approvals: Manage flow of internal/external product approval forms Manage DNA and packaging approvals from Licensor for Packaging team Decision Making: Product compliance for Brand DNA and terms in licensing agreements Legal compliance of PO data against terms in licensing agreements Make recommendations based on responsibilities outlined above to next level management Required Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, SharePoint, One Note, Teams; Microsoft Access and Power BI a plus) Virtual meeting technology proficiency Cloud-based applications proficiency Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, including deadline-sensitive priorities Advanced knowledge in the platform Airtable or comparable experience in other project management workflow systems Attention to detail is critical; clear and concise verbal and written communication skills; thorough note-taker; highly organized; fast learner; comfortable with both phone and email for correspondence Highly organized, analytical thinker with strong communication skills Demonstrate ability to positively influence results, deliver above expectations, and collaborate within team a