Licensing Manager, Israel & MENA

Location: Dubai Media City, Building no. 4, Office 111, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Hybrid Work: Employees work in a hybrid model balancing collaboration in our office and remote work.

About the Role
The company is looking for a commercially driven Licensing Manager to join its MENA team in Dubai, reporting to the Commercial Director, MENA.
The Licensing Manager will take primary responsibility for managing and developing the company's licensing business in Israel. This will include growing existing licensee relationships, identifying and securing new partners, and building relationships with key retail and commercial contacts.
The role will also support the wider MENA commercial team by developing business cases and pitches, maintaining sales materials, conducting retail visits and providing relevant market intelligence. In addition, the Licensing Manager will support the development of selected location-based entertainment opportunities across the region.
This is a hands-on commercial role for someone who can independently manage existing partnerships, develop new business in Israel and provide practical support to the wider regional growth plan.

Job Description

• Israel business development and account management
• Act as the main commercial contact for licensees and partners in Israel.
• Develop and implement the licensing strategy for Israel, aligned with regional priorities and licensor objectives.
• Manage and grow existing licensee relationships while identifying and securing new partners.
• Conduct market, retail and category analysis to identify gaps and new business opportunities.
• Develop commercial proposals and lead negotiations for new deals, renewals and amendments.
• Build and maintain relationships with key local retailers to improve retail placement and identify opportunities for licensed products.
• Help expand the company's portfolio by identifying opportunities to represent additional brands in Israel.
• Manage account performance and coordinate with Finance on reporting and payments.
• Own the Israel territory forecast, regularly reviewing revenue expectations, account performance and the commercial pipeline.
• Work with Creative Services and Product Development on product submissions and approvals, and with Legal on contract execution.
• Maintain accurate account, pipeline and forecast information in the company's CRM.
• Provide regular updates on the Israeli licensing and retail landscape.
• Travel to Israel for business when required.

MENA Sales Support

• Prepare business cases, sales presentations and pitches for prospects identified by the MENA sales team.
• Maintain sales materials, case studies and best practices in collaboration with the Partnership Team and licensors.
• Support the team with retail visits, market intelligence, competitor tracking and consumer products trend analysis.

LBE Development Support

• Maintain a database of relevant LBE prospects, operators and contacts across MENA.
• Support the Global LBE team with local outreach, meetings and follow-up.
• Track regional LBE opportunities and relevant market developments.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in sales, business development, or account management.
• Strong commercial, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to manage existing accounts and develop new business opportunities.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Previous exposure to the Israeli market and understanding of the local retail landscape is preferred.
• Hebrew language skills are preferred but not essential.
• Previous experience in licensing, retail or consumer products is preferred.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Comfortable managing multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Proactive, organised and able to work independently.
• Comfortable working with commercial data, forecasts and business plans.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Willing and able to travel to Israel and elsewhere in the region when required.

Additional Information
What We Offer
Working at the company is more than a job — it’s the opportunity to join forces with extraordinary, insightful, and imaginative people who will recognize your talents and encourage your professional growth and development in a work environment that promotes creativity and individuality. We offer competitive benefits, and we invest in our people and their future.

Our Commitment
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are in our DNA. As a global leader in kids and family entertainment, we strive to reflect and honour the diversity of our audiences around the world. We believe that creating diverse and inclusive content & brands begins with fostering a culture of belonging at the company. To us, a culture of belonging is one where we celebrate and welcome the diversity of all employees, stakeholders, and external partners and strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and brings their authentic self to work.
We demonstrate our commitment to this by striving to provide a supportive work environment and a corporate culture that welcomes and encourages equal opportunities for all employees. We recognize that people bring experience and talent that goes beyond the technical skills and requirements of a job. If you possess similar experience that is close to what we’ve listed here, we encourage you to please still consider applying. We strongly believe that diverse experience, transferable skills, and passion are key! The company accommodates people with disabilities throughout the recruitment and selection process. Applicants are encouraged to make their needs known in advance if accommodation is required.