License & Innovation Product Manager
The License & Innovation Product Manager leads the strategy, development, and execution of licensed product initiatives and the new format innovation pipeline for all established & new channels. Acting as the central liaison between internal teams and external partners, this role drives product lifecycle management, ensures compliance with licensing agreements, and delivers differentiated products aligned with brand and business objectives. The manager oversees project execution, risk management, and portfolio optimization, leveraging cross-functional collaboration to maximize commercial impact and category growth.
Worksite Location: Eden Prairie - Onsite
Salary Range: $120,000-$150,000
Benefits: Health, dental, long-term care, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance.
Roles & Responsibilities:
· Act as the primary point of contact for all licensed product initiatives, ensuring seamless collaboration across marketing, sales, operations, and external partners.
· Define and execute product line strategies and roadmaps aligned with licensor studio investments and overall brand objectives.
· Own the complete product lifecycle, from ideation and development through commercialization and post-launch optimization.
· Partner with Sales to secure retail placement opportunities, leveraging insights to maximize distribution and visibility.
· Establish clear product requirements, user stories, and success metrics in partnership with cross-functional teams to guide development.
· Collaborate with design, engineering, supply chain, marketing, and sales to deliver innovative, differentiated products that drive category growth.
· Lead pricing, positioning, and go-to-market strategies for new and existing licensed products with support from the sales team to optimize profitability and market share.
· Work closely with Finance and Sales to develop forecasts, pricing models, and business cases, ensuring data-driven decision-making.
· Manage end-of-life (EOL) planning and transitions, minimizing disruption and maximizing portfolio performance.
· Analyze product performance across key metrics (revenue, margin, velocity, productivity) to identify trends and opportunities.
· Conduct root cause analysis for underperforming SKUs and implement action plans to improve, discontinue, or reposition products to drive growth strategies.
· Drive portfolio optimization initiatives, including SKU rationalization and tiered assortment planning to enhance efficiency and profitability.
· Ensure full compliance with licensing agreements and act as the primary liaison between licensors and internal teams for contractual updates, asset delivery, and studio entertainment requirements.
· Develop business cases for new and renewing licenses, integrating product plans with sales projections to support minimum guarantee commitments and profitability goals.
· Drive timely completion of contract reviews, audits, and business performance assessments, providing accurate documentation and insights as needed.
· Partner with licensing stakeholders to uphold brand integrity and contractual standards, ensuring alignment across all deliverables.
· Manage the end-to-end submission process for product concepts, packaging, and marketing materials by tracking progress, proactively following up to secure timely licensor approvals and maintain workflow efficiency.
· Translate licensor feedback into actionable guidance for internal teams, implementing corrective measures to meet compliance and quality standards.
· Maintain comprehensive records of submissions, approvals, and feedback to support audit readiness and operational transparency.
· Validate final products against licensor specifications and legal requirements, mitigating risk and ensuring market readiness.
· Develop and sustain a robust pipeline of innovative product concepts and formats, aligned with strategic growth objectives.
· Lead cross-functional teams through early-stage Discovery and Concept phases, driving ideation, feasibility analysis, and presenting recommendations at gate reviews.
· Prioritize concepts based on strategic alignment, market potential, and commercial viability, ensuring resources focus on high-impact opportunities.
· Create preliminary business cases for new concepts, including cost modeling, ROI projections, and risk assessments to support informed decision-making.
· Validate concepts through consumer insights, trend analysis, and technical feasibility studies, ensuring market relevance and operational readiness.
· Identify and mitigate risks early in the innovation process, developing proactive strategies to address compliance, timing, and resource challenges.
· Monitor approval workflows and implement contingency plans to prevent bottlenecks and maintain project momentum.
· Develop with Sales & Leadership Team AOP revenue goal for incremental “new” growth
· Own and oversee the stage-gate process for all license new product development (NPD) and new format innovation initiatives, ensuring compliance and timely progression through each phase.
· Lead cross-functional teams to drive alignment, accountability, and on-time delivery of project milestones, fostering collaboration across departments.
· Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, including timelines, budgets, and resource allocation, to support successful execution.
· Proactively identify and manage risks, implementing mitigation strategies to safeguard timelines and deliverables.
· Monitor project performance and track progress against key milestones, providing clear visibility into status and potential roadblocks.
· Communicate project updates, decisions, and critical milestones to stakeholders at all levels, ensuring transparency and informed decision-making.
Required Skills & Experience:
· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Product Management, or related field.
· 5+ years of experience in product management, licensing, or innovation within consumer goods or related industries.
· Experience managing licensed products and working with external partners.
· Excellent project management capabilities, including planning, execution and stakeholder communications
· Experience with stage gate or similar innovation frameworks.
· Excellent analytical, communication, and organizational skills.
· Proficiency with project management and analytics tools.
· Ability to influence and collaborate across teams.
About Versique:
Versique: /ver-seek/ adj. being both versatile and unique; n. a high-performance recruiting firm specializing in executive leadership search, direct hire, and interim hiring solutions.
Versique Executive, Professional, & Interim Recruiting is a locally owned and operated hiring and placement firm based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. With specialized practice areas across our three divisions, Versique delivers tailored expertise to a wide range of industries. What sets us apart is our team of recruiters—seasoned professionals who have worked in the very fields they now hire for, providing unmatched industry insight and connections.
We believe people are more than resumes—they are transformative, unlocking the potential for organizational growth and success.
Versique is proud to be an award-winning company, earning recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal's Fast 50 list for 2023. We are also consistently recognized as a Star Tribune Top Workplace and were named a Best Place to Work in 2022 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Let's find your people, together.
Versique is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse workforce. We consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.
#LI-JB1
#LI-Onsite