Licensing Associate, EMEA

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at corporate.pokemon.com and pokemon.com.

Get to know the role

Job Title: Licensing Associate

Job Summary: The Licensing Associate, EMEA will provide efficient administrative support to the Licensing Manager, EMEA working closely with the Licensing Team to ensure the smooth running of the department. In this role the Licensing Associate will be responsible for coordinating efforts for trade shows, trade advertising, PR and social media. They will also facilitate and monitor the product approval process to help ensure product submissions are dealt with in a timely manner. They will eventually provide general assistance with Retail, Product and Brand promotion administration when required.

People Manager: No

What you’ll do

Product Development:

• Work closely with Licensing Manager, EMEA, Brand Services team  and licensees to ensure timely product approvals in line with licensee needs.

• Manage the online approvals system for designated licensees. Anticipate roadblocks and proactively take measures to address them by working closely with line manager.

• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends and conduct benchmarking for consumer products.

• Prepare product presentations as needed for internal and external use.

Paralegal:

• Act as point of contact for internal paralegal queries from licensees and retailers by working closely with the Paralegal and Infringement teams.

• Deal with paralegal queries efficiently and in a timely manner escalating to other members of the Licensing team as appropriate.

• Responsible for contract data entry on the contract and product approval portal WestEnd on behalf of the Licensing team

• Responsible for contact entry for Licensees on WestEnd on behalf of Licensing Team, and the Contract Tracker on behalf of the Licensing Director and Team

Financial

• Act as point of contact for internal financial queries from licensees and retailers by working closely with the Finance teams.

• Deal with financial queries efficiently and in a timely manner escalating to other members of the Licensing team as appropriate.

• Maintain accurate and up to date financial records on TPCi information systems (SharePoint, WestEnd). 

• Send forecast reminders and requests on behalf of Licensing team on a quarterly basis to existing licensees

• Track missing royalty reports and outstanding invoices sent on behalf of Finance and Licensing team quarterly

Marketing:

• Assist with compiling and keeping sales tools updated including brand decks, all company and brand updates, licensee reviews (including information collation, proofread emails for clarity, grammar and spelling, update email databases, update images, etc.). 

• Update European Brand Deck on behalf of the licensing team

• Collect and consolidate Retailer images from key partners across UKFIGS in a quarterly presentation

• Participate and assist with the planning and attendance of annual European trade shows and events as necessary (Brand Licensing Europe, Bologna Licensing Show, Cobrandz Licensing Show, etc.). Ensure visibility of our licensed products during trade shows and Pokémon events.

Trade Shows:

• Participate and assist with the planning and attendance of annual European trade shows and events as necessary (Brand Licensing Europe, Bologna Licensing Show, Cobrandz Licensing Show, etc.). Ensure visibility of our licensed products during trade shows and Pokémon events.

• Execute development for stands and marketing materials to hit all required deadlines with relevant Licensing Coordinator or Manager for Local shows including BrandMate, Cobrandz, Bologna and BLE

Trade Advertising, PR and Social Media:

• Trade Advertising – Execute the PR and trade advertising plan to hit all required deadlines with Creative Services and PR team

• PR – Execute and coordinate process with Marketing support, showcasing, and maximizing Regional and Global collaborations and partnerships at B2C, Trade and local channels and outlets. Sharing future Licensing plans in Bi-weekly & weekly calls with PR and external Agency

• Social Media – Gathering samples and materials for social content, attending bi-weekly meetings and acting as a point of contact for social support. Collating content creating quarterly reports and sharing with Licensing team

General Administration:

• Provide efficient and professional administrative support to the Licensing Manager, EMEA.

• Act as point of contact for administrative queries from internal (Licensing Manager, EMEA and Licensing Coordinator) and external stakeholders (licensees and retailers)

• Assist with creation of regular status reports

• Assist Licensing Manager, EMEA with trade budget management, maintain the licensee and retailer databases, manage the sample library, etc.

What you’ll bring

• Two (2) years of related experience.

• Excellent oral and written English proficiency.

• Proven organizational skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure with unpredictable schedules and tight deadlines.

• Proficient in MS Office.

• Strong team-player.

• Knowledge of and passion for Pokémon brand a bonus

• Basic previous licensing administration a bonus.

• Additional European languages a bonus.

 Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between £36,000.00 - £42,000.00 per year. The full range is £36,000.00 - £54,000.00 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. The final base salary is directly related to the candidate’s qualifications and professional experience uniquely.

#LI-MK1 #LI-Hybrid 

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.  
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.
• Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve. 
• Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.  
• Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience.

What to expect

• An innovative culture driven by impact, delivering meaningful outcomes.
• Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon.
• Competitive cash-based compensation programs.
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you.
• Generous paid family leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.
• US Employees: 401k Employer Matching.
• UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Commuter benefit.
• LinkedIn learning.
• Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles.
• Hybrid work environment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work. In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

The Pokémon Company International is committed to the inclusion of all qualified applicants for consideration in our job application process. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at accommodationrequest_ta@pokemon.com.