Licensing Operations Manager

This is a Full Time Job

Be Part of What's Next

Help power the operations behind high-impact licensing programs and award initiatives across Hearst Magazines. As Licensing Operations Associate Manager, you'll bring structure, insight, and innovation to a fast-moving business-building smarter processes and ensuring teams have what they need to execute successfully.

Key Responsibilities (What You Are Doing)
• Own end-to-end licensing operations, including contract routing and execution, client onboarding, invoicing coordination, asset delivery, renewal tracking, and CRM management.
• Manage contract administration and recordkeeping, partnering with Legal on redlines, amendments, rights questions, and other contractual matters.
• Build and optimize scalable processes, SOPs, and systems that improve operational efficiency, accuracy, consistency, and business continuity.
• Identify and implement opportunities to automate manual workflows and leverage AI and other technologies to increase team productivity and data accuracy.
• Coordinate award-submission and licensing operations, managing submission intake, entrant and winner information, key timelines, PR contacts, embargo and live dates, asset deadlines, reporting, and licensing materials in partnership with Editorial and other stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting across sales activity, KPIs, deal stages, renewals, and other business metrics, surfacing trends, opportunities, and operational needs.
• Anticipate capacity and resource needs by maintaining visibility into upcoming award programs, submissions, licensing cycles, renewals, and deadlines, while ensuring Sales has current rate cards, one-sheets, emblems, award information, and other approved resources.
• Partner across Sales, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Creative, Editorial, and brand teams to execute licensing programs, resolve operational issues, and train team members on processes, systems, and operational best practices.

Qualifications (What We're Looking For)
• 4 years of experience in licensing operations, sales operations, business operations, project management, or a related field, with experience managing complex, cross-functional workflows.
• Strong operational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholders while maintaining close attention to detail.
• Experience with contract administration, CRM systems, reporting, invoicing coordination, or similar business processes.
• A process-improvement mindset and demonstrated ability to build clear, scalable workflows and documentation.
• Comfort working with data and developing reports or dashboards that translate business activity into actionable insights.
• Curiosity about automation, AI, and emerging technologies, with an interest in applying new tools to improve productivity, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to build effective partnerships across business, creative, editorial, financial, and legal teams.
• This role is based in New York City and requires working in the office four days per week.