Director, Licensing & Retail - HBO & Max

Your New Role:

The Director of Licensing & Retail for HBO and Max oversees team that amplifies and extends fandom of HBO and Max original programming through licensing and merchandising opportunities on the HBO Shop and with third-party brands and retailers around the world. The Director of Licensing & Retail for HBO and Max is responsible for licensed merchandising opportunities, with a focus on initiatives and offerings designed to address, execute and amplify marketing priorities/opportunities across HBO Original programming and select Max Original programming. 

Reporting to the EVP, Originals & Multicultural Marketing, the Director will be responsible for overarching product strategy development for licensed merchandise into brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online commerce retailers, including the HBO Shop. The Director will work closely with the Originals Marketing team and serve as POC (Point of Contact) with programming, creators/filmmakers, producers, and internal cross-functional teams.  

Role Accountabilities: 

Oversight and management of the HBO e-commerce store (HBO Shop) as a centerpiece platform for licensed consumer product offerings for HBO and Max consumers and fans.  The Director shall execute day-to-day management and achieve goals by: 

• Curating product assortment for HBO IP on the HBO Shop from concept to completion to align with programming schedules, content priorities, IP milestones, talent requests and general fan experience. 

• Overseeing the relationship with the third-party partner, Snow Commerce, as key point of contact for all business strategies and execution, managing contractual needs and required internal/external approvals and assessing budgetary needs and priorities. 

• Driving creative direction with Snow Commerce specific to each IP with an emphasis on delivering a quality fan experience with the product for sale and offering exclusive product (including “As Seen On” designs when available and appropriate). 

• Managing all required approvals related to the HBO Shop across all key stakeholders including Programming, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Corporate Communications and Production.  

• Overseeing the day-to-day needs of the HBO Shop to identify and solve any real time challenges or issues and to drive the business toward its goals on a daily basis. 

• Aligning with Marketing as required to ensure the e-commerce shopping experience is fully integrated into holistic go-to-market plans. 

• Working closely with WBD Consumer Products to align priorities and goals and coordinate day to day efficiencies when possible. 

• Identifying growth and expansion opportunities for the HBO Shop with an eye toward building beyond simple print-on-demand offerings with innovative product offerings (e.g. limited drops, brand collabs, auctions, etc.) and international storefronts to reach global fans.   

Develop custom programs and activations of consumer products initiatives for marketing and talent-relations focused projects when the e-commerce platform cannot fully serve as a solution to specific scenarios.  The Director shall supplement the work of the e-commerce platform by:  

• Identifying scenarios where HBO needs, goals or strategies are best served by seeking third party licensing opportunities beyond the capabilities or scope of the e-commerce platform whether that be for specific IP or for specific product category opportunities. 

• Assessing and conducting outbound pitches and receiving and reviewing inbound inquiries to assess feasibility and desirability. 

• Managing product opportunities which are determined to merit the third-party licensee approach by: 

• Fielding incoming deal offers and/or seeking third-party deals as an outbound communication stream;  

• Negotiating deal points and working with Legal to deliver and finalize license agreements; 

• Managing the product development cycle, including internal and external approvals as needed;  

• Managing approvals, PR and communications efforts and steering partners as required. 

• Managing and tracking all royalty reports and working closely with Finance to manage both incoming revenue and outgoing budget spends as appropriate. 

Management and execution of HBO and Max soundtrack projects.  The Director shall play the lead role in bringing soundtrack projects to fruition by: 

• Working closely with Post-Production, Programming, music consultants and outside counsel to assess soundtrack pitches and determine which opportunities merit full soundtrack releases and which do not; 

• Fielding proposals and working to assess music label partners (Water Tower Music vs.  third-party labels); 

• Partnering with outside counsel and Legal to negotiate contracts and bring them to execution; 

• Overseeing creative design of soundtrack art and liner notes; 

• Managing and approving all digital assets, websites, music videos and all other marketing efforts and activations, including contest and sweepstakes as deemed appropriate. 

• Managing product/design, marketing, PR approvals and partnering with internal and external stakeholders, Legal, and Corporate Communications as needed 

Additional Responsibilities shall be required in support of the previously described work and/or in support of the HBO and Max team, to include: 

• Working with internal Design team to develop creative assets for use on products (e.g. logos, photos, key art, style guides) and sales /pitch materials;  

• Communicating with select talent to discuss licensing and e-commerce initiatives, obtaining approvals and consultation on an as-approved basis. 

• Marketing lead for all Auctions that run through the Production department, offering expertise focused on the “for sale” elements of each project and how those are communicated to the public via press and marketing.  

Qualifications & Experience: 

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in consumer products, licensing and retail, preferably in entertainment. 

• Proven track record of developing and executing licensing strategies that increase brand visibility and revenue. 

• Strong relationships with global licensees and a deep understanding of the retail landscape both in physical and online commerce. 

• Experience in negotiating and managing contracts with licensors, retail partners, and third-party vendors. 

• Strong communication (written, verbal) and collaboration skills with colleagues and clients, taking the time to communicate effectively even when under pressure; experience with managing talent, creators/filmmakers, producers preferred.  

• Experience overseeing e-commerce platforms, particularly in curating product assortments and driving creative direction tailored to enhance fan experience.  

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complex projects and multi-task effectively.  

• Ability to manage all aspects of product approvals across multiple stakeholders, including Programming, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Corporate Communications, and Production.  

• Masterful at working in a highly matrixed environment with multiple stakeholders.  

• Creative thinker with the ability to identify and pursue growth and expansion opportunities in the licensing and retail space.  

• High level of integrity and discretion, with the ability to work with sensitive information. 

• A sincere passion for streaming entertainment, television, movies and storytelling, and keeps a pulse on the latest entertainment headlines and culture.