Licensing Audit Specialist

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 Audit Specialist

• Job Summary: The Licensing Audit Specialist will work with process owners to document, assess, and test licensing internal controls and business processes. The position will focus on the end-to-end licensing process, from licensee contract compliance to final reporting to IP rightsholders.

• FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt

• People Manager: No

What you’ll do

• General

  • Consistently deliver quality project management by monitoring progress, following up on outstanding tasks, and providing status updates to senior management.

  • Demonstrate in-depth technical capabilities and professional knowledge.

• Licensing Internal Audits

  • Design and develop licensing internal audit framework grounded in risk management and business strategies.

  • Perform internal audits over the end-to-end licensing process, such as:

    • Licensee contract compliance,

    • Data accuracy within royalty system, ERP, business intelligence software,

    • Integrated data,

    • Licensee royalty statements,

    • Royalty revenue,

    • Cash reconciliations,

    • Rightsholder reporting, etc.

  • Facilitate SKU IP accuracy reviews with Licensing, Publishing, Media, and Brand Services teams.

  • Support process owners with inventory of rightsholder contracts.

  • Analyze data and collaborate with Data & Analytics to build licensee compliance dashboards to proactively identify issues and help prioritize areas of improvement through trends.

  • Prepare formal written reports, backed by adequate evidence, to support licensing audit conclusions on the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control systems.

  • Report licensing audit findings and recommendations to management.

  • Monitor licensing audit finding remediation status and hold assigned staff accountable to ensure timely validation.

  • Evaluate the corrective actions taken by management to ensure licensing audit findings are effectively addressed and resolved.        

• Risk Advisory

  • Effectively partner with cross-functional teams to facilitate risk assessments by identifying, measuring, and analyzing risks.

  • Advise process owners to understand and manage their business risks, particularly with new licensing processes and royalty systems.

  • Partner with management to develop risk-based tools and techniques to strengthen operational programs, processes, and controls.

• Information Technology

  • Advise senior management on risks associated with logical access, significant configuration changes, and approval workflow changes within royalty system and ERP integrations.

  • Collaborate with IT department to design and implement IT general controls related to royalty system and ERP integrations.

• Policies & Procedures

  • Collaborate with process owners to document and refine royalty policies, procedures, and internal controls.

• Controls & Compliance Framework

  • Develop assurance framework with Financial Controls & Compliance Manager.

  • Implement risk management/internal audit system(s).

What you’ll bring

• Five (5) to seven (7) years of relevant professional experience or a demonstrated equivalent level of expertise.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline required.

• Knowledge of general financial accounting and control environments.

• Understanding of and ability to adhere to generally accepted accounting principles.

• Proficient with accounting and royalty software.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills enabling effective communication with all levels of the organization, particularly senior leadership

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software.

• Ability to travel up to 4 times per year domestically and internationally.

Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between $93,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year. The full range is $93,000.00 - $140,000.00 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-JL1 #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.